


When the Hunters Came

by colorofakiss



Series: Puppy Piles What Puppy Piles? [7]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Hunters, Knotting, Multi, Pack Dynamics, Pack Feels, Pack Mom Stiles Stilinski, Polyamory, Puppy Piles, angst lite in chapter 3, bit of gore, check chapter notes for individual chapter tags, collar play in ch 9, fluff bits, not every tag is in every chapter, some violence, tagging as chapters come up, unprotected sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-31
Updated: 2013-12-23
Packaged: 2017-11-17 10:30:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Underage
Chapters: 14
Words: 59,937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/550600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/colorofakiss/pseuds/colorofakiss
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As the pack works on rebuilding the Hale house, and new relationships form, a group of new hunters in town is bound to cause trouble.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Ah, here we are at the next installment of Puppy Piles What Puppy Piles? I am mighty excited about this fic, I expect it be a fair bit longer than the others. What you can expect from this fic, is equal parts relationship building, house building, and mayhem. I'm a sucker for a happy ending, so keep that in mind for some of the later chapters. Fluff bits, smut bits, and puppy piles will be interspersed. un-beta'd all mistakes are my own :) Thanks for reading this silly bit of fic

"You know, when you said you wanted to talk, I expected there to be, actual talking involved," Stiles finally said after twenty minutes of silence. Scott had been sitting next to him at his kitchen table, not saying anything, and jiggling his knee in manner that was making Stiles antsy. 

"I know, it's just sort of hard to start," Scott replied, getting up to fill his water glass for the fourth time. Stiles wondered if Scott was going to need to pee before he got out whatever it was he wanted to say. 

"Did you want me to guess? I mean, I can pretty much do the talking for both of us if I knew what it was about."

"No, I don't think you'd be able to guess," Scott said, sitting back down. 

"Is it about Isaac?" Stiles guessed. Scott spit water all across the table as he coughed. "So, I guessed right, it is about Isaac." Stiles passed Scott a few paper towels and watched as his best friend turned three different shades of red. 

"Yeah, it's just, um, Allison and I were wondering, if, oh man, maybe, we could date Isaac," Scott squeaked out, not looking at Stiles and focusing very hard on the floor. Was it always tiled like that? 

"Thank God! I thought I was going to have to send him to your house naked for you two to ask about him already," Stiles sighed in relief. Scott's eyes were comically wide. 

"What?!" 

"Everyone knows about your hard on for our golden puppy, like everyone," Stiles told him. 

"I just barely got around to telling Allison yesterday, how did everyone else know?!" Stiles just shook his head. 

"Dude, I know you can't look at yourself when you don't have a mirror, but seriously it was written all over your face. Derek and I gave Isaac the okay weeks ago when he asked us, so we've basically been waiting for you." 

"I just had to be sure, you know, like really sure, that this was going to be okay for Allison and me. And then asking you wasn't exactly a run in the woods," Scott grumbled. 

"That's what you were worried about? Asking me?" 

"Well, yeah, I mean you're the alpha couple. Isaac is yours." 

"I think we both know Isaac has been a part of you and Allison for a while now, even if it wasn't official or whatever," Stiles said. "Man, I know we're both knee deep in werewolf politics, but you and I, being bros hasn't changed." Scott grinned.

"So, it's really okay? 'Cuz this will make Allison's day, she's been sort of bummed lately what with having restrictions on how much she can see us." 

"Yeah, it's been sort of affecting us all," Stiles replied uncomfortably.

"What do you mean?" 

"Derek said that even though I'm human, I'd still get side effects of being in a werewolf pack. He said most of the human members would. Not having Allison around, makes me feel like something's wrong, like there's something missing and it's, I don't know, heightened? It's like, because I know that she's being kept from us, it makes it worse than if she just decided to stay home by herself. Not having her when we sleep in piles is starting to give me insomnia," Stiles let Scott know. 

"Whoa, really? I thought I was the only one who was having a hard time getting to sleep without her." 

"Nope, I haven't slept for more than a few hours at a time for the past week. And I know my sleep patterns affect Derek and Isaac, and then it sort of leaks out into the rest of the pack, so we've all been having a rough time of it." 

"The hunters were supposed to be here already, I wonder what the hold up is?" 

"I don't know man, but I'm going to need to start taking sleep-aids if they don't make an appearance soon. I'm too fucking young to be taking sleep-aids," Stiles grumbled. 

"Hey, um, thanks, for, being understanding and stuff," Scott tried to let Stiles know he appreciated being given a shot with Isaac. 

"Thanks for finally giving into your epic boycrush, Erica owes me ten bucks because she bet that you would take another two months to fess up to your feelings," Stiles laughed. 

"Hey!" Scott said indignantly. "I was just taking time, to sort out, well..."

"Liking boys? Or well, boy, I suppose," Stiles teased.

"That and the, uh sharing thing...are you sure this is going to be okay? " 

"Are you going to hurt him?" 

"What?! No, of course not."

"Are you going to wolf out if you see me kiss him?" Scott paused, trying to think of it and how his wolf felt about it.

"Uh, no, definitely not. Regardless of what Isaac is to me, I think I'd rather cut my own arm off before attacking you, Derek would kill me," Scott replied honestly. "Though, full moons are a different story, but you know that," Scott shrugged. 

"Well, then we're cool, dude, we've shared most everything else in our lives, what's one more huh?" Stiles grinned, warm and easy. 

"Thanks, I guess I better go find Isaac then, think he's going to say yes?" 

"Oh yeah, like I'm pretty sure he's going to jump you in the street so, you might want to be indoors. I don't want my dad to have to bail you both out for public indecency," Stiles joked. Scott snorted and then froze. "What, what now?"

"It's just...I've never kissed a guy before," Scott said looking sheepish. 

"Want to try it out on me before you leave," Stiles offered. Scott's mouth dropped open.

"Oh my God, that's not what I meant! Stiles!" Scott complained, getting up to leave. 

"I have mad kissing skills you are not taking advantage of!" Stiles yelled out as Scott charged out of his house. The Sheriff passed Scott on his way in.

"Do I even want to ask?" The Sheriff looked at his son who was cackling to himself. 

"Well, if you did, I'd tell you that Scott is now dating my boyfri...er mate, mate," Stiles amended. 

"Scott's dating Derek!" His dad exclaimed, not able to mask his disbelief. 

"No, I meant the other one," Stiles stifled his laughter.

"Oh, Isaac? Really? I thought he and Allison were doing well lately," the Sheriff looked confused.

"Oh they have been. They are both dating him, or well they will be once they ask."

"So, let me get this straight. You're dating Derek and Isaac. Allison and Scott are now also dating Isaac. Sound right?"

"Yup," Stiles said, proud of his dad for getting it right. 

"I feel like I'm going to need a diagram soon."

"You are not wrong." 

"You doing okay?" The Sheriff put a hand on Stiles' shoulder.

"Yeah, dad, I'm good," Stiles responded.

"Alright kid, I'm going to go upstairs and pass out," the Sheriff said walking up the stairs. "You going out?" He asked at the top of the stairs.

"Uhhhh, not sure, I'll let you know," Stiles answered, "I might have to bail Derek out of another construction argument with Peter." 

Smiling, Stiles went upstairs to his room, hoping to get in a nap. He had a feeling he was going to need all the rest he could get.


	2. Hunters Here, Hunters There, Hunters Everywhere

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two weeks later, and new hunters burst onto the scene in a big way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Arrgh, this chapter is so late, sorry about that, I had an impromptu road trip with no internet. Let's see, in this chapter the hunters cause a major ruckus. A few gory bits occur, but I don't want to spoil those. All of the snippets occur within a half hour of each other, so keep that in mind for the time frame, it's basically all happening at once. un-beta'd all mistakes are my own :) thanks for reading

Two weeks later...

"We're being followed," Lydia abruptly said, interrupting Jackson's current rant on lacrosse. She had half been paying attention and half trying to touch up makeup that was smearing due to the heat when she first noticed the black car. It had been outside the convenience store where they had picked up new detergent for Stiles. It had followed them to the sporting goods store. And to the bank. And the bookstore. Now it was following them as they drove to Stiles' house. 

"What? Are you sure?" Jackson looked in the rearview mirror.

"Positive. They've waited for us outside every store we've been into. Two cars back, the black one, see?" Lydia got out eyeshadow to cover up her use of the passenger side mirror. Jackson made a quick left, off of the main road and onto a smaller side street. Sure enough, the black car turned with them, staying back but following them nonetheless.

"Shit, hunters?" Jackson, turned back towards the main road.

"Most likely. Drive towards the school, we can't got to Stiles' house like we intended," Lydia told Jackson, as she caught his eye. He nodded in fervid agreement. His wolf balked at the idea of leading potential enemies to his alpha's mate's house. 

"We should call someone."

"Not yet. They haven't done anything except make me wish the laws on stalking were stricter."

"How do they even know about me?" 

"You have a signed death certificate. Whatever ridiculous story you used on the town obviously won't work for seasoned hunters. It's sort of hard to ignore people coming back from the dead," Lydia snarked, annoyed that they were being detoured. 

"I have a better idea," Jackson said.

"Oh?"

"You have been saying how you've been wanting to go to the new mall that opened up two hours away," he smirked. Lydia grinned.

"A wild goose chase with a side of new heels, hmm, I approve," Lydia replied wickedly. "And just to make sure that they aren't the kill first type of hunters, I'll text Allison so she knows where we are." 

To: Bestie

1:23 pm

Jacks and I think there are hunters on our tail. We are going to that new mall to throw them off. I'm sending a check in text every half hour, if you don't get one come find us.

*****

Allison's feet hit the ground hard as she ran through the suburbs. It wasn't the same as running through the forest, but it would do for getting rid of her excess energy. Being apart from the pack made her restless, made her want to run. She tried to steer clear of the familiar forest paths she loved to take. With the arrival of new hunters any day now, Allison wasn't going to chance leading them to the Hale house. Even if the Hale house was currently being bulldozed down. She ran the concrete forest instead, ran towards her house when every cell in her body howled that she run towards Stiles' house. Towards the Den, as they called it now, where her packmates were. Where her mates would be later. 

Mates. Two of them now, she smiled to herself. She missed them, her boys. Scott's easy smile and Isaac's smug grin. It wasn't fair that they had finally worked out their relationship, only to have to spend the beginning of it separated. They spoke over the phone, and texted constantly, but it wasn't the same. It wasn't the same as falling asleep tangled on her couch watching movies, or lazing around and doing homework. It wasn't the same as watching her wolves eye fuck and feeling her body warm pleasantly. Instead she spent her nights alone with her bed cold and her mind running more miles than her feet ever could. She spent her days tired and unfulfilled. 

Allison ran so she wouldn't have to feel the loneliness caving in on her. Her packmates checked in with her multiple times a day, for which she was grateful. They called her over Skype, and put her on speaker phone. She was glad she had unlimited texting or they would've exploded her phone bill by now. Still, nothing seemed to quell the ache that had started in her chest and spread to every nook. So, she ran, because when the hunters left, she was going to run with her pack again. 

Allison slowed at her block, her breath coming out in pants. She walked up her driveway in confusion at the unfamiliar car parked in it.

"Dad?" She called out, closing her front door. 

"In here," he answered from the dining room. Allison cautiously walked over to where her father sat across from an older woman in a pants suit. 

"Oh, you must be Allison," the gray haired woman spoke, her voice thick like honey. "One of our youngest hunters, I'm so terribly sorry to hear about your recent losses." The woman's eyes were warm, inviting almost. Allison wasn't convinced.

"Thank you," she responded, unsure as to what her face should be showing. 

"Mrs. Silberer and I were just discussing the recent uptick in supernatural beings," Chris told Allison, his facial features giving nothing away.

"Yes, quite troublesome it seems they've become for you. I want you to know that I was against the council's ruling in favor of that beast that killed your aunt. Letting a thing like that live was just a terrible decision," Mrs. Silberer announced, taking another sip of tea. 

Allison paused at first, not understanding who the hunter was talking about. Peter, her mind supplied helpfully, she was talking about Peter. The tone in which the hunter described Peter rankled Allison. She nodded, knowing that her lips were pursed tight but she couldn't stop. 

"And I hear a whole mess of those beasts go to school with you?"

"They're not beasts, they're just..." Allison trailed off realizing her mistake. Mrs. Silberer's eyes narrowed. 

"My dear, don't you understand?" The older hunter bent over to pull a small lap top out of the bag at her feet. She opened it up and turned it on. "They're just animals, waiting to be picked off. Vermin really, in need of extermination. Quite the infestation you have, Allison. Well, I suppose it wouldn't have gotten so bad, if you hadn't let them into your life," Mrs. Silberer calmly said, showing Allison the computer screen, and on it, pictures of Allison with the pack. 

"Where did you get those?" Allison asked, recognizing the pictures as ones she took. Her hand twitched and she wanted badly to have her crossbow in her hand. 

"It's amazing what hacking into a computer can do nowadays. Looks like you're quite close with them, Allison. I wonder if they would come for you. Are you that bonded?" Mrs. Silberer's words were hard, and before Allison could back up she heard the door open as three other hunters flooded in. 

"What is the meaning of this?" Chris asked, standing up now. 

"Are you so daft that you didn't realize your daughter is part of werewolf pack? If they consider her a pack member, then her distress will call them. It's a much easier method of hunting than having to track down the beasts one by one."

Allison caught her father's eye just as two hunters in all black grabbed her arms. Flashbacks of training exercises with the pack filled her mind as she easily got out of one of their grasps, kicking him straight in the chest. Allison heard a shot ring out and ducked, using the other hunter as a shield. 

"You're fighting you're own kind!" Mrs. Silberer shrilled just as Chris slammed the but end of his gun into her temple. Allison whipped out the hand crossbow she carried on her back, concealed by her jacket, and shot the last hunter in the shoulder. Chris shot the hunter Allison had kicked, as he tried to get back up.

"Allison, go, more will be coming. They don't want me, they want you," Chris told his daughter.

"I'm not leaving, this is our home," she asserted. "What are they doing here? Are you okay?" Allison fired questions off, her heart pounding. 

"I think it would be best if you let the pack know to keep a low profile. They seemed liked they have no tolerance for human-werewolf relations. It's," Chris sighed, "Not looking too good." 

Allison felt anger fill her. 

"I'll let them know. I'm not letting a bunch of hunters with outdated prejudice bring trouble to my pack," she seethed. Her father nodded at her.

"I'll back up however you want to handle these hunters," he told her, giving her pause.

"What?"

"I told you once, our daughters lead. While I'm not thrilled at knowing that you have a second family of werewolves, I do know that where they are concerned, I'll trust your judgment." 

Allison felt emotions roll through her before settling on relief. 

"Thanks dad," she whispered.

"Now go, before backup arrives. I'll meet you at Stiles' house after tying up the ones still alive." He nodded at her, reassuring her that it would be okay. Nodding back, Allison went out her back door, feet hammering out a rhythm as she bolted for the forest. Peter and Derek were supposed to be supervising the bulldozing of the Hale house. Get to the alpha, Allison told herself, just get to the alpha.

*****

"Hey, Stiles, what's up with the black sand around your house?" Danny asked, walking into Stiles' room, carrying his computer. They had been trying to catalogue supernatural creatures using Allison's bestiary, just in case any showed. While they couldn't be prepared for everything, they could at least try to get the main ones covered. 

"Black sand?" Stiles asked, looking up from the current entry. Hellhounds were apparently a thing that Stiles did not know about. He wished Allison and Lydia were here to help, it had taken him half the morning just to work out the word for hellhound. 

"Yeah, it's in a circle around your house. I figured you were either trying out a new spell, or were beefing up protection on the house." 

"In a circle?" Stiles asked, feeling the blood drain from his face.

"Is that bad?" Danny asked worriedly, watching as Stiles entire body went tense. 

"I didn't put it there, so it's not good," Stiles answered, getting up and rushing down the stairs, Danny right behind him. Stiles stopped at the black line of mountain ash at the end of his driveway. Whoever laid it down didn't account for them being human, Stiles thought as he crossed it. 

"What is it?" Danny asked, kneeling on one knee.

"Mountain ash," Stiles responded, concentrating on breaking the line. With a flourish of his hands, the ash parted. 

"That's the stuff that traps supernatural things right?" Stiles nodded at Danny. 

"Whoever laid it down, was expecting werewolves. I'm going to take a wild guess and say we have new hunters in town," Stiles sighed. Derek was going to have a whole herd of cows at hearing that someone had warded Stiles' house. 

"Is it broken even though the rest of the line is still there?" Danny scraped at the ash with his shoe.

"Huh, I should probably hose it off," Stiles commented, before around to the side of his house where the hose was tied. Coming back around, Stiles noticed that Danny was no longer standing next to the line. Looking around frantically, Stiles felt his heart begin to race. "Danny! Danny!" 

"Stiles, what? I just went to get the chalk so we could counteract the ash with protective runes," Danny said walking out of the house, perplexed at Stiles' distressed countenance. 

"Jesus Fucking Christmas, could you not disappear moments after I just said new hunters are in town. I thought you had been kidnapped or something," Stiles panted out, adrenaline making his hands shaky. Now that Stiles wasn't filled with worry, he took a moment to be proud of Danny. He hadn't been with the pack very long but already he proved to be exceedingly useful addition.

"Wow, you take this packmom thing seriously," Danny grinned. Stiles gave him a dirty look.

"Hey, when my packmom instincts save your butt one of these days, you're going to be singing a different tune. I'll hose, you write," Stiles ordered. Danny laughed lightly to Stiles' annoyance. Together they managed to wipe off the hunters' work and counteract it with their own protective charm. 

"Whoa, what's with the runes?" Boyd asked, meeting them at the door to the house. 

"Someone put mountain ash around the house," Stiles told the beta, watching as a small ring of yellow infused itself into Boyd's eyes.

"Hunters?" He asked, looking around and taking a deep breath through his nose. 

"I don't think they're here now, but I'd put good money on saying that when they come back they aren't going to be so happy," Stiles shrugged. 

"We shouldn't stay here if they know that we frequent this place," Boyd said.

"Running isn't an option," Stiles replied. "Besides, what kind of pack would we be if we can't even defend the homes we live in. Let's go inside, call Derek, and pull up the GPS on everyone's phones. Scott should be here soon, he's just at the hospital having lunch with his mom, if you're worried about not having another wolf around." 

Boyd nodded tersely, following his alpha and packmate into the house with an increasing uneasy feeling settling in his stomach.

*****

"This is depressing as fuck," Erica announced, watching as another wall collapsed. Isaac elbowed her and she growled. "What, like everyone wasn't thinking it," she grouched. Isaac shook his head at his tactless packmate.

"No, I agree with Erica, why are we here again?" Peter turned towards his nephew. Derek sighed, grimacing at his betas. 

"We're here so we can make sure they don't mess up," Derek answered.

"Mess up? Derek, they are tearing the house down, how the hell can they fuck that up?" Peter complained. 

"Fucking Christmas, I specifically didn't tell any of you, so you wouldn't come. I don't know how you found out, but you don't need to be here," Derek groused. 

"And leave you out here to brood miserably by yourself, no thanks. Besides, Stiles sent us in lieu of himself. He had bestiary work to get done," Erica said. 

"Moral support and all that," Isaac replied, bumping shoulders with Derek. The alpha rolled his eyes but bumped Isaac back. It was just like Stiles to send his betas to tend to Derek in what Stiles called, "this emotional time." Derek watched as multiple construction vehicles swarmed the remains of his childhood home. The construction machines drowned out most of the other forest noises, but Derek picked up on a familiar heartbeat headed towards them. 

"Derek, you can't get rid of us even if you walk to the other side of the house," Erica snorted, watching as the alpha strode down the forest path. Isaac heard it next, a heart beating much faster than it's normal rhythm.

"Allison," he whispered as his mate burst onto the winding driveway. Strands of hair had escaped her ponytail, and she put her hands on her thighs, leaning over to catch her breath. Peter and Erica made their way over to Allison, both going to stand in front of her, as if shielding her from some unseen threat.

"What happened?" Derek asked in his alpha tone. She looked up, her face flushed from exertion. 

"Hunters, Derek they've come for us," she panted, reaching out to Isaac who instantly grabbed her hand. 

"Where, at your house?" Peter and Erica shared a look. 

"Yes, they know, they hacked into my computer. I had pictures of the pack, all of us," she near sobbed, holding back tears. She hadn't given the hunters anything, but it still felt like she betrayed the pack in some way. 

"Stiles," Derek whispered, looking up and using his enhanced senses to locate his other mate. He had felt Stiles' heartbeat triple earlier, but it had evened out just as quick. Derek had had to learn which scares were real and which ones were just Stiles being accident prone. He repressed a sigh at finding it pattering away at its normal pace.

"My dad was going to head over to Stiles' house after tying up the hunters we left alive," Allison told her alpha.

"Do you know how many?" Peter asked.

"No, but my dad said reinforcements were most likely coming. They don't go by the code, they just shoot first and," Allison paused as she saw one of the construction men pull out what looked like a machete, then startled at the loud sound of crunching wood. A glint of metal caught her eye, and with a surge of adrenaline, she shoved Isaac as hard as she could, "Look out!" She yelled.

A sickening thud echoed loud in the wolves' ears. Allison crumpled to her knees in front of Isaac, still trying to push him out of the way and behind one of the trees. Out of the side of her eye, Allison could see the others scattering to get behind trees. Isaac dragged her in front of him, holding her close. Sparking pain, burst behind her eyes at the movement, her shoulder felt like liquid fire had been poured on it. Shots could be heard behind her. 

"Is it bad?" She asked her mate. Isaac held Allison's weight effortlessly, sheltering her head with his hands. 

"There's an arrow in your shoulder," he answered her, voice tight, and eyes flashing golden. His claws were out and he fought back the instinct to go out and tear the hunters to shreds. Breathing deep, Isaac pulled her pain into himself, leeching off as much as he could feel.

"What?" She asked looking up, feeling the pain lessen and then disappear.

"Perks of being with a werewolf," he answered. "Here, let me try to," he said, grasping the arrow and then hissing as his hand burned.

"Don't, stop," Allison told him. "It's probably warded against you. I don't feel it anymore, so there's no need for it to come out yet." 

"You're bleeding too much," Isaac growled. Behind them, Isaac could hear the squelching sound of someone's intestines spilling out onto the ground. 

"It's all clear!" Erica called out to them. Isaac hoisted Allison up, cradling her as he stepped out from the tree. Erica and Peter changed back from claws and fangs to hands and regular human teeth. 

"Five dead, two of them fled when they saw Peter decapitate one of them," Erica said in awe. 

"We need to get her to the hospital," Isaac let them know. 

"My car," Derek growled, eyes still red. They piled into Derek's car, Erica and Isaac sitting in back with Allison between them. 

Allison felt her eyes grow heavy.

"Hey, hey, stay awake," Erica spoke, shaking her lightly. Isaac could hear her heartbeat struggling to pump blood that she was rapidly losing. Taking off his shirt he padded the arrow the best he could, putting pressure on it, careful not to touch the arrow.

"You can't sleep, you have to stay awake, come on, talk to us," Isaac said gently. 

"About what?" Allison whispered, her mouth feeling like thick cotton. 

"Anything," Erica encouraged. 

"I miss you guys," she struggled to say, eyes closing. "I do, I miss you all. Miss puppy piles, even Peter, the surly wolf," she slurred. 

"Allison," Isaac called her name, giving her a light shake. "Allison, come on," he said, his voice getting frantic. 

"Derek, drive this thing faster," Erica growled, taking off her jacket to cover her now unconscious packmate.

"Allison!" Isaac cried desperately as Derek sped onto the main road. With his wolf at the forefront, Isaac threw his head back and howled.

*****

"This isn't getting you out of doing dishes later," Melissa McCall, told her son. Even with the best puppy eyes, she put her foot down. She took another bite of chow mein and smiled. 

"I know," Scott shrugged. "Just thought I'd save you from having to eat leftovers." 

"Well, it is appreciated," she told her son. "I was thinking maybe, if you're okay with it, you could invite the pack over sometime for dinner. You spend most if not all of your free time with them, and I'd like to get to know them." 

Scott squinted at his mom.

"Are you sure? The pack, all at once, is kind of a lot to handle."

"I'm sure they are, but seeing as you have yet to tell me what's really going on with you and Allison and Isaac, I think seeing all of you together will help piece in the puzzle for me." Melissa gave Scott a pointed look. Luckily, Scott didn't blush easily, or it would've been painted all over his face. 

"Alright, I'll ask Derek," Scott said. He stilled suddenly, a howl so full of grief making every hair on his body stand on end. 

"One of yours?" Melissa asked. 

"It's Isaac," Scott said, feeling his claws threaten to slip loose. "Something is wrong, I gotta go," he responded, running into the hallway. 

"There's no running in the halls!" She called after her son, wondering what it was now, that he had gotten himself into.


	3. Coming to an Understanding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Allison and her father have a long overdue talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have been waiting for this scene, since the moment I decided Isaac, Scott, and Allison were going to be together. This chapter is centered around Allison and Chris. I'm going to be absent till Saturday, and thought I had to put this bit up before then, so it's a little short but accomplishes what I've been dying to write. I figured leaving you all on a cliffhanger for that long would be a bit mean :) un-beta'd all mistakes are my own

Chris could see Peter Hale at the entrance to his daughter's hospital room. The wolf saw him, and moved back, stepping away from the door.

"Hale, what are you doing here?" Chris almost bellowed before he remembered he was in a hospital. 

"Guard duty. Derek heard you coming and thought that it was best to take the pups to the cafeteria, give you two some space. I thought I'd make sure you made it to the door and not some other hunter," Peter answered, meeting Chris' eyes. 

"Because you're known for your tender heart," Chris spat. Peter stifled a sigh.

"I don't see why everyone keeps thinking I'm going to lose it again."

"Maybe because the last time you lost it, Derek lost a sister, Scott got bit against his will, Lydia almost died, and you murdered my sister," Chris retorted. Peter's eyes narrowed. 

"Your daughter saw it happen, and yet she has found a way to forgive me. I wasn't always a monster."

"Maybe not, but I would feel better without you near her." Chris argued back, taking a step forward. Peter stepped back, if only to humor the hunter.

"In the car on the way here, they were trying to keep her awake and even though she was half unconscious, she said she missed me. She said she missed the pack, but then she made it a point to let me know that I was included in that. Before," Peter stopped and he clenched his hands instinctively, "When our pack was whole, I remember what it was like, the bond between packmates. Regardless of what you think of me, I'll always protect that packmate of mine in there." Peter left then, leaving Chris to stare in anger and guilt down the hallway. Taking a deep breath Chris turned the knob and went in his daughter's room.

"I'm okay," Allison told her dad, watching as he sat anxiously next to her bed. "Mrs. McCall patched me up, and she said that it looked like I was already healing a little bit, which I'm guessing has to do with being a part of a werewolf pack."

"You were shot, because you're part of a werewolf pack. You could have died." Chris reached out to take her hand. It was hooked up to an IV line. He took in the dark shadows under her eyes, and the extreme paleness of her skin. 

"Isaac, could have died." Allison replied stubbornly. 

"Isaac could have healed from multiple organ wounds. You can not. I know that there's something between you and the boy but-" Chris stopped as Allison grit her teeth. 

"Could he heal from this?" She took an arrow out from beneath one of her pillows with her left arm. "This is what they pulled out of me. Isaac tried to take it out but it burned him. I showed the pack, and none of them had seen anything like it. I bet that you have though, so tell me, could Isaac have healed this? Tell me that what I did, I did for nothing," Allison demanded, her eyes taking on a shiny, wet, appearance. Chris took the arrow, noting the carvings etched onto the shaft, and the bolt. He put it down on the bedside table. Looking down at his hands, he entertained the idea of lying for a couple of moments before answering. 

"No. No, he wouldn't have healed this," Chris said honestly. Allison's jaw set, tears spilling down her cheeks.

"If he had, if he had died, what would I...what would I have told Scott? God, and Stiles, and Derek, how could I even, even face them? Their mate, my... it would destroy me," she cried, as Chris sat there helplessly. 

"They're werewolves-" Chris tried to start again but Allison cut him off.

"And what?! They're werewolves so they deserve to get hurt? I may be just human, but given the same circumstances, I'd make the same decision. Every time. The same sequence played a hundred times and I would always choose to put myself in front of that arrow. I saw my packmate, I saw my mate," Allison sobbed, "And I wasn't about to just watch him get hurt when I could do something about it. He's had so much pain in his life, he doesn't need anymore." She turned to grab some tissues off of the table, trying to even out her breathing. She could sense the pack's agitation at her crying, and the last thing she wanted was for them to burst back into the room.

"I hadn't realized that you and Isaac were so...involved," Chris implicated. Allison sniffled. 

"It's a new, not so new thing."

"So, you and Isaac-"

"Isaac, and Scott, and I," Allison corrected.

"What?" 

"It's not just Isaac and I, it's Scott and I, and Isaac and Scott, and all of us, all together, all the time." 

"The three of you...?" 

Allison huffed slightly, a habit she had picked up from the wolves.

"We're together dad, dating. The three of us. You must have noticed."

"I thought the three of you were just friends hanging out," Chris said, plainly confused. Allison laughed bitterly. 

"Just friends? Did it look like we were just friends all of the times you would find us curled on the couch around each other? Or doing homework in my bed, laying on each other? Did it look like we were just friends when you caught me kissing Isaac on the porch, while he held hands with Scott? Did that look like just friends?" Fresh tears slipped down her cheeks, and she dabbed at them with a tissue. 

"If Scott is pressuring you into something-"

"Dad, if anything I pressured him. I was in love with Isaac, and when Scott told me that he was too, it was such a relief. Scott was worried Derek and Stiles would say no, but I wasn't. The way they dote on him, it's just the same with Scott and I, and I knew they wouldn't say anything if it made Isaac happy. And we do, dad, we make each other so happy. After everything we've all been through, don't you think we deserve a little happiness?" She held her father's gaze fiercely. Chris' shoulders sagged, and Allison knew then that it would be okay. "It'll be alright dad, I promise. The way they treat me, well, they rival you they're such a pair of mother hens." 

"Your shoulder...?"

"Will heal. It will heal faster, when the pack is around. Not as fast as they can heal, but faster. To keep me from moving it, I'm going to have to be in this sling for a bit though. I needed a blood transfusion from all of the blood loss, and Mrs. McCall said I'll still need some physical therapy, but it doesn't even hurt."

"That's because you're on pain medication."

"Nope. I'm not on any. Every time I feel a twinge, one of the wolves touches me to take it. They've been doing it wordlessly, not even asking, just somehow sensing. They're not going to hurt me," she stated. 

"Your mate?" Chris asked finally, searching Allison's eyes. "Do you even know how they use that word?"

"Yes, my mate. And yes, I understand that implication behind it. Derek let it slip that it means in the eyes of other wolves, we're essentially married. Although, he also said that the newer generations use it as the equivalent of boyfriend and girlfriend."

"And how do you use it?"

"As both. You don't know them because you've been so against them being werewolves, but that's not all they are. Scott is brave and unbelievably dorky. Isaac is shy and thoughtful. All you see is what you've been taught to see, dad." 

"What would you have me see?"

"Loyalty. If I could have you see anything in them, it would be loyalty. They'd defend me just as easily as I'd defend them. I won't ever have to worry about being alone, or being in trouble by myself. My troubles are theirs, and they'd help carry any burden I'd felt. And it's not just Scott and Isaac, it's all of them. Even Peter, though he hates to admit he has feelings. I didn't ever think I'd be a part of this, of them. They aren't the broken down pack that you and I hunted for Gerard. We're stronger now, better. We're what a pack is supposed to look like." 

"I suppose I should spend some time getting to know them, if you're going to be with them," Chris conceded. 

"After we deal with the other hunters. There's still two out there and who knows how many more. The pack wants to move me as soon as Mrs. McCall comes back with the discharge papers." 

"I agree, it's too public, it's not safe here." 

"See, everyone can agree on some things already," she smiled. Chris Argent gave a long suffering sigh, and squeezed his daughter's hand.

"Ah, here we go, I have all your paperwork," Melissa said, walking into the room. "Here, this was in your jacket, you have a few missed calls ," she handed Allison her phone. 

"Oh, thanks," Allison replied, scrolling through it. Each call had been from Lydia. Calling her voicemail, Allison put it on speakerphone, so she wouldn't have to awkwardly hold it.

"ALLISON! No one is answering their freaking phones! What is going on! Jackson and I almost got run off the road by some psycho hunter! I had to SHOOT someone! We're okay, but we had to leave the Porsche behind. It has two flat tires, and I broke a heel! We buried the body and took the guy's car, so we'll be back in the city in like ten minutes. You had better explain what is going on when we get there, because the stuff we found in the hunter's car doesn't look good." Lydia's shrill tone ended and Allison looked up at her dad, her eyes wide.

"Did she say she shot someone?" Melissa asked, looking over at the two hunters. 

"I think I better call her back," Allison said meekly, hoping that they had made it into the city without the police noticing. "On second thought, has anyone called the Sheriff?"


	4. Regrouping

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The pack meets up with Lydia and Jackson, and share information about the hunters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter, the pack meets up to do some much needed information sharing. Peter and Lydia have an interesting chat. Words written between these ( - -), are written words and not spoken out loud. un-beta'd all mistakes are my own :) thanks for reading

The pack hovered around Allison as she was lead out of Chris' car and up the driveway of Stiles' house. 

"Guys, can we move faster? My legs weren't injured and I would really like to know that Lydia and Jackson are okay," Allison sighed. If the pack continued to treat her like a precious glass vase throughout her recovery, Allison was going to have to shut that down fast. She really hated being fussed over. A few of them ducked their heads in embarrassment, but Scott didn't budge. 

"You're not supposed to exert yourself," he pleaded with puppy eyes. Oh not the eyes, she thought, trying to look away. 

"Ugh, fine," she conceded. Scott grinned as he picked her up in a fluid motion. The rest of the betas and Stiles followed them in. Chris stayed back giving Derek a pointed look to stay as well. 

"I have to deal with the other hunters I still have in my house. Can I trust you to take care of Allison?" 

Derek stilled. He knew what if meant for the hunter to ask this of him. He nodded slowly.

"We'll guard her," he answered, meeting Chris' eyes. The hunter gave a small inclination of his head and turned to leave. Derek hoped that he wouldn't let the Argents down. Inside he could hear Lydia screeching.

"Allison! What the fuck happened?!" Lydia cried, her presence causing a few of the betas to step back and allow the strawberry-blonde to get closer to Scott. 

"Lydia, I'm fine, I just got shot with an arrow-"

"The words 'I'm fine', and 'got shot with an arrow', don't belong in the same sentence," Lydia argued as she ushered Scott up the stairs. The front door barged open.

"Stiles!" The Sheriff called, looking around frantically. 

"Dad?" Stiles said uncertainly, eyes widening as he was enveloped in a hug.

"Are you okay?" His dad asked stepping back.

"Yeah dad, I'm fine. Allison got shot, and Lydia shot someone, I think, I'm not sure, we're about to get all the details," Stiles told his dad. 

"Lydia shot someone!"

"Maybe?"

"Well, let's go find out instead of standing around," the Sheriff said, charging up the stairs. 

Stiles watched in amusement as the betas piled Allison up with pillows, bundling her between them. Derek rearranged a few of the pillows so that she wasn't completely smothered, for which she gave him a thank you smile.

"What's this about you shooting someone?" The Sheriff asked Lydia, wanting to get to the bottom of it quickly.

"Oh, that. Well, I thought we were being tailed, so I told Jackson, who came up with this brilliant plan to drive two hours out of our way to the new mall. A few miles out of the town, and suddenly the guy starts shooting at us! We blew out two tires, and had to duck and run from the Porsche into the side trees. Luckily, I had put a gun in Jackson's car a month or so back, so I aimed and shot him dead as he exited his vehicle. I figured, leaving a dead body around wasn't the best of ideas, so Jackson and I buried him in the woods, took his car, and came back here." 

Everyone turned to look at Jackson.

"Um, what she said, except I'd like to add, that I may have wolfed out a little, and mangled his body before we left." 

All eyes swiveled back to Lydia.

"I've been trying to forget that part. Derek, you never told me werewolves like to play with dead things. I feel like that's something you're supposed to let us know, just in case our werewolf boyfriends start batting dead bodies around. You should've seen how much soap we had to use to get the blood off of his claws. Speaking of soap, sorry Stiles, but the new detergent got left in the Porsche." 

"Oh man, are you serious, we really needed that for-"

"Is everyone really going to gloss over that fact that Lydia killed someone!" The Sheriff exclaimed

"Well, it was self defense," Scott said, shrugging his shoulders. "And, they shot Allison, so maybe my moral meter is a little low." 

"What am I supposed to tell my department?" The Sheriff groaned.

"Wild cougar attack, like you usually do," Peter suggested.

"Cougars don't shoot bullets," the Sheriff pointed out, glaring at Peter. 

"Maybe they learned," Peter bantered back. At once the pack burst into argument, talking over each other. The vein in Derek's forehead, started to throb.

"Enough!" Derek growled, silencing the betas, and catching the Sheriff's attention. "The Porsche needs to be towed. We'll send the location of the body to Chris, hunters should deal with their own. The hunter's car should be driven over to Argent's later. The bodies at the house need to be dealt with too, those will pass as cougar attacks if you let Deaton look over them. The hunters at the house posed as construction crew members, so either they killed those people, or convinced them to stay home. Either way, we can bet on them being just as ruthless with people who are in the way as they are with us. We need to figure out how many of them are left, and what they know about us." Derek looked at each of them. 

Boyd recovered from Derek's speech first.

"Wow, that actually didn't sound like a bad plan." Derek frowned his constipated disapproving look at Boyd. "Uh, I meant, of course it would sound like a good plan." 

"I think what Boyd meant was, your plans are usually..." Erica trailed off, making a motion with her hand. 

"Usually what?" Derek demanded.

"Usually end up with me bailing you out," Stiles grinned. 

"They do not."

"They totally do. What about that time I had to rescue you from Peter."

"Hey, I helped with that," Jackson piped up.

"Or, that time I had to tread water for the both of us for two freaking hours."

"Uh, technically I saved you guys, because you both were about to drown," Scott said.

"Fine, what about when I inadvertently got used as bait to draw out that rogue omega."

"Does that really count as saving? From what I've heard it was only one wolf which I think Derek could've handled on his own, and you sort of stumbled into it," Danny countered.

"You all suck, I know what happened, and what happens is, I end up saving Derek," Stiles defended himself. Isaac patted him sympathetically.

"We can help with that last part," Lydia told them, getting up and grabbing a large box and plopping it in front of the pack. "This was in that bastard's car. It's files, lists of addresses, hospital records, school records, hell blood type, if it was inputed in a computer, it's in there. There's a file for every one of us. They've even been trying to guess at pack rank." 

Derek went through the files, his stomach turning in knots at seeing that they accurately pegged Stiles and Isaac as his mates. 

"They've been following us for a while, look at these pictures," Erica said, holding up one of Scott in line at the phone store.

"Wait what are these?" The Sheriff asked, having wheeled the computer chair closer to look at the papers. He held up a list of names. 

"Names of other packs," Peter answered. 

"There isn't much on them, but Jackson and I went through that file, and there's one defining factor about all of them," Lydia added, eyes hardening with anger. "The packs who are named, also have their pack members named. Some of those names have the word 'human', after them."

"The hunters aren't just here to look over our supernatural problems. They're here because we have humans in our pack," Jackson figured. 

"This again. All of these years and you'd think hunters would find a different tune to sing," Peter sighed. "Humans in werewolf packs are always targeted, either by other wolves, other creatures, or by hunters. They'll tire after a while, once they're through with their self righteous mission. We just have to wait them out," he got up, sighed again, and left the room. 

"So, that's it? You just wait it out?" The Sheriff asked incredulously. 

"No. We have to call these packs, let them know, maybe it's not too late to give them a heads up," Stiles answered. 

"I don't know a lot of these names. How would we even find them?" Derek asked. 

"I, um, can help with that I think. I can track the addresses, and we could poke around until we find a phone number," Danny suggested. 

"And say what, 'Oh I hope this is a werewolf pack with humans in it because if it is hunters are coming your way and if it isn't, ha, ha, wow am I high'," Erica joked. When she was met with silence she threw her hands up in the air. "Oh my God, there has to be a better plan than that." 

"I'll leave that part up to you. I need to go deal with the dead bodies," the Sheriff said, rubbing a hand over his face. "Will, you be safe here?" 

"Should be. I put up warding spells with specific ones that enable only pack members to break them. Go, we'll hold down the fort here," Stiles told his dad. Nodding, the Sheriff left, mumbling under his breath about needing a stiff drink. 

"I guess a day of researching is in order," Stiles said, getting up to turn on his computer. 

"I'll go make coffee and tea, looks like our patient is down for the count," Lydia pointed out. Allison had fallen asleep sometime during their talk. Derek reached out a hand to feel her head. No fever, which was good, Mrs. McCall said to keep an eye out for that. 

"I have to call my mom, make sure she knows to be careful," Scott stated, digging in his jean pocket for his phone.

Isaac got as close to Allison as he could without jarring her, and closed his eyes, arm wrapped around her middle. He wasn't going to let her feel one smidgeon of pain. She'd gotten hurt protecting him, it was the least he could do for her. He felt his packmates curl around them, and for the moment allowed himself to feel safe.

*****

Lydia stopped short at seeing Peter fill up the electric tea kettle she had brought from her house. Stiles' old kettle was practically archaic, and she had gotten fed up real quick over its slowness. 

"I know you usually make the drinks, so I thought I'd get a jump start on them," he said, no hint of sarcasm in his voice. Moving around the kitchen drawers, he got out a pad of paper and a pen, as she pulled out her packmates' favorite cups. 

Writing a few lines down, he put the pad in front of her.

-Why didn't I feel you earlier? Getting nearly run off the road and shooting someone should've skyrocketed your heart rate, but I didn't feel any of it.- 

Lydia made a tsk sound, and grabbed the pen out of his hand, her neat script joining his on the paper.

-Went to Deaton and got a charm to dull the link. Did you really think I'd enjoy sensing you and Erica have sex? It's bad enough having you in my head, I didn't ever need to know that you were doing that.- 

She held up her wrist, showing off a charm bracelet with multiple charms on it. Between the gold ones was a silver wolf with an eye in the middle of it. 

-Jealous?- He jotted down. 

-Of you? Hardly.- She scoffed.

-Of the blonde wolf?- His eyebrows quirked upwards. She hesitated, her heart giving her away.

-Perhaps.- She settled on.

-Maybe I need to invest in one of those charms. Feeling you and Jackson go at it like rampant rabbits on viagra isn't exactly my idea of a good time, either.- 

-I'm sure Deaton wouldn't mind.-

-I'm sure he wouldn't. For now though, you should keep it off. At least until the hunter problem has gone away or been dealt with.- 

-I don't need your protection. Jackson was with me.- She pushed the pad at him and went to start putting tea bags into the cups. She stopped when he slid the pad back at her.

-I'd rather you didn't die because your pride is keeping you from accepting help. It's a precaution at best to leave that bracelet at home. Returning people from the dead is a terrible business, don't you know?- 

Lydia had to stop herself from throwing boiling water at his face. Instead, she deftly poured cups of tea, and watched as he put them on a tray she had also brought from her house. Feeling better now that she could smell the calming scents of the tea, she took the pad and wrote as clearly as she could.

-I'll consider it, if only to spare someone else the torment you've inflicted upon me.- With a flip of her hair she took the tray and walked out of the kitchen.

Peter didn't know how long he stared at her words. He felt them sear into him and gripped the tile counter so hard he heard a distinctive crack. One more thing that's my fault, he thought as he surveyed the splintered tile. Just another thing to add onto the list.


	5. The Scheming Foursome

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The human members of the pack get together for some coffee and gossip.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's see, in this chapter the humans get together and discuss hunters, relationships, and more. I really like the idea of having them be able to talk about their wolf packmates out of reach from prying ears. I figure being the humans in a supernatural pack must give them plenty to gossip about. Thanks for all the lovely comments and kudos. un-beta'd all mistakes are my own :)

Two weeks later....

"This is exciting," Allison smiled, sitting down next to Stiles in the booth. 

"It's just the coffee shop. You're only saying that because you're finally away from your guard dogs," Lydia stated, sliding in next to Danny. A waitress came over to them and Lydia ordered their favorites.

"Is it that obvious?" Allison asked, resting her arm on the table. "It's not that I'm not enjoying being around the pack, because that's not it, I'm just not used to being...confined." 

"I'm not sure who is worse, your dad, your mates, or Derek," Stiles said, looking behind him through the shop's window to see Derek and Chris Argent sitting calmly in the Camaro. And that was just one of the weirdest things Stiles had ever seen. What would they talk about? Would they even talk? Stiles wished, not for once, that he set up a some sort of recording device in Derek's car. He was sure Derek sung along to radio songs, but it had yet to be proven.

"Scott's the worst," Lydia and Danny said together. Allison huffed her bangs out of her face.

"I know he means well, but he pushes because he cares too much, and it feels an awful lot like smothering."

"I think this outing will do both of you good. He's with his mom and Isaac, and you're here with us. Still guarded-" Stiles got cut off by Allison.

"But at least Derek and my dad are pretending to give me space. I'm not helpless," she sighed as the waitress brought over their drinks. 

"No, you are definitely not," Stiles agreed, remembering how deadly she could be with knives and a bow and arrow. 

"Has there been any communication from those last six packs we hadn't gotten a hold of?" Danny asked, sipping a latte. Stiles winced.

"No. Derek's trying to keep my hopes up, saying that maybe they fled, but their cities were before ours and if the hunters went from east coast to west, then...well I'm not getting my hopes up," Stiles said regrettably. "If the packs were in better contact, we could've done something. We need a-"

"A network," Lydia supplied, getting a familiar scheming look in her eyes. 

"Yeah, that's what I told Derek. It'd be good to be on better terms with others, create a space where we could share information, watch each other's backs. Anything, than sitting around waiting to picked off by the next big thing to roll through town," Stiles commented. 

"There are other hunters out there, hunters like my dad and I. Reformed. Sympathizers, my mother called them. They worked closely with the local packs, watched out from them and for them. Each family has their own bestiary, if we could bridge the gap between us, think of all the information we could have," Allison offered. 

"Okay, motion cleared, this needs to happen. We need protected computers, a site with locks, we could do this," Lydia affirmed. 

"Chat rooms, notes on supernatural creatures, archives of information," Danny jumped in.

"Pages on first aid, weapons, each of us could tackle a different area," Allison piped up. 

"Whoa, could we actually do this, you think?" Stiles asked, looking around at his human packmates.

"I do. I already have notebooks filled with behavior and anatomy. Allison has weapons and hunter lore. We can scan the bestiary and I'll help translate, Stiles your notes on hellhounds read like a kindergartner's report. Danny can handle the site maintenance, and anything else he'd like to put in. We could bounce around and do a little bit of everything," Lydia concluded. 

"Maps of attacks, supernatural whereabouts, oh man, this could be big." Stiles gulped his coffee. 

"I think we should do this more often," Allison said, nudging Stiles.

"Drink coffee? I mean Lydia usually makes plenty."

"Not the coffee, well, a little bit the coffee. I meant this, the four of us, you know, without our wolf counterparts," she elaborated.

"Yeah, I mean, we're the real powerhouse here," Lydia responded. "We have the alpha's mate, the reformed hunter, the immune one, and our newest member. It's the perfect mesh." 

"It is nice to get away from constant sniffing," Danny said guiltily. 

"We could met regularly away from prying ears and sensitive noses, and gossip about how gross they smell after a rainy full moon," Lydia added. 

"Like wet dog right?!" Stiles exclaimed, almost sloshing over his coffee. He had thought he was the only one that noticed.

"Oh yeah, Jackson smells exactly like my mom's old pomeranian after a bath," Lydia grinned. 

"That's not really want you want to gossip about," Danny laughed, "I think we're all trying to skate away from the bigger topics." 

Allison frowned briefly before catching on, her eyes lighting up with delight. Lydia smirked staring at Stiles.

"What, what topics?"

"Come on, fess up, what's Derek like in bed?" Lydia asked. She laughed outright when she saw Derek turn away from them, wondering how he was going to pass that one off to Mr. Argent. 

"What?!" Stiles squeaked. "That's the bigger topic? Really, this is what you want to talk about?" Stiles asked in disbelief. Three nods answered him. Stiles dropped his head to the table. "I can't believe you all. Why, do I have to go first? Lydia can start," Stiles countered. 

"It's longer," Lydia answered, with no hesitation.

"I don't have experience with before and after the change, but just from past experience, it is longer," Allison agreed.

Danny's eyes went wide. 

"Wait, what's longer," he asked looking slightly afraid. He'd seen Jackson naked numerous times, and length hadn't been an issue before he got bit. 

"Oh, God, no, not that," Lydia giggled into her napkin. The sound made Stiles' heart flutter. How long had it been since he heard her laugh like this? Allison was right, they needed to do this more often. 

"It's like the energizer bunny, they just keep going. You, think it's bad with Jackson, but you don't have two of them to satisfy. Even at my best, I feel like we need another person just to keep everyone good," Stiles jumped in. Why not, he thought to himself, they were pack, and who else was he going to share his sex stories with?

"So, I'm guessing stamina increase comes with the werewolf package," Danny said, filing away that information for later. 

"I don't know, I mean Scott's good, but after the fifth round, I think I start to kill him," Allison rejoined, looking down at her cup. 

"Fifth round?!" The others responded, eyes agog. 

"Well, okay, I guess I shouldn't be throwing stones, I mean Derek and Isaac and I spent an entire day in bed just having sex. And, please take this in a positive way, but I'm actually glad that Isaac has another person to have sex with, because my God, I was going to die from all of it. Pup is skin starved, and the touching turns into making out and that turns into sex. I'd like to say I can keep up, but I'm only human," Stiles confessed to Allison.

"Yeah, how is that, sharing Isaac?" Danny asked. Stiles and Allison looked at each other.

"It feels...right, doesn't it?" Allison asked, hoping that Stiles knew what she was talking about. Stiles heard the hesitancy in her voice and quickly went to reassure her.

"Yeah, yeah it does. It feels like, my mate is her mate, and he's happy, and we're happy, and Scott finally had his big guy crush revealed, and no one was surprised. It's...well, actually it's starting to feel a lot like Erica and Boyd's open pack policy. Think about it, we're all together, all the time, we trust each other, we curl up around each other. None of us are related like in regular packs, so it sort of makes sense that'd we end up with this big mass of...relationships," Stiles ended his rant.

"You're right," Lydia admitted.

"He is?" Allison and Danny asked in tandem, staring at the strawberry-blonde.

"Jackson and I have been talking about it, and we think maybe we'd like an open pack policy too," Lydia said, and then took a sip of tea. 

"Really?" Allison asked her, voice going up in pitch.

"Why, you want to volunteer?" Lydia asked, mirth written all over her face. While Stiles and Danny sputtered into their drinks, Allison turned four different shades of red.

"I, um, not what I meant, er," she tried to explain as Stiles grinned at her.

"Alli, you're about as subtle as Scott with his epic boy crush. We all know you'd be interested in a pack orgy," Stiles divulged.

"I, what no, Stiles," Allison tried to defend herself, but instead she made a strained noise. 

"Wow. Allison Argent, I am surprised," Danny said, reevaluating what he knew about his packmates.

Allison's face flamed scarlet.

"Okay, fine, fine, it's true. I just, I've never had this before-"

"Sex?" Lydia asked incredulously. Allison rolled her eyes.

"I was going to say, a pack. And I know this is new for all of us, but you guys had friends before, and my family was always moving. Always. We never settled anywhere, and now here with you, it's like I'm finally slowing down enough to settle in. And," she shrugged, "after I got over Scott being a werewolf, and after Stiles finally pulled everyone together, it...well it's like Stiles said. It just feels natural to move in that direction." 

They were silently contemplating her words for a moment before Lydia spoke up.

"So...did you need like, a cordial invite to sleep with Jackson and me?" Lydia asked seriously. Allison laughed. 

"I don't think Scott would be okay with that. Look, at how long it took for him to finally give in to Isaac, and he's attracted to Isaac," she pointed out. 

"Pff. Our wolves just need to fuck each other and get it over with," Lydia insisted. Danny choked on his drink, causing Lydia to pat his back and hand him napkins. 

Stiles covered his eyes.

"Oh, God, Lydia, the images, stop, I don't want to imagine that," Stiles groaned.

"I haven't said anything to Jackson about it, because we all know he'd overreact, but I'm firmly in the belief that if they can't talk their problems out, then they should fuck them out. Let their wolves battle it out and then maybe they wouldn't be so standoffish."

"Lydia, please, I don't want to be curious about that because then I'll start imagining it," Stiles pleaded. 

"It looks great in my head," Allison supplied unhelpfully. Lydia and Danny murmured noises of agreement.

"You guys suck," Stiles told them with no real heat behind his words. 

"So...the scent marking is a constant thing?" Danny asked.

"Oh, yeah, they do it all the time," Stiles confirmed.

"Because, Jackson does it a lot, and I know he occasionally does it with you guys, but it seems more...pointed?" Danny supplied with a confused look on his face. 

"Could be because you're new," Allison said.

"What kind of scent marking is it?" Stiles asked. "Arm brushing, chin rubbing, excessive touching, it all means something different." 

"Uh, the chin rubbing, like sort of under my chin, and maybe there's been some...nipping...?" Danny looked incredibly flustered. 

"Begging," the others answered. 

"Begging?"

"When their wolves want something, and they aren't sure what it is, instinct has them beg. The chin nipping is begging behavior. Although, it can also be interpreted as asking a favor," Lydia elaborated.

"Yeah, sexual favors," Stiles grinned thinking of Isaac, and then he realized what he just implied and looked back up at Lydia with wide eyes. 

"It's okay. I sort of realized that the reason Jackson was so okay with the open pack policy, is because of this one," she nodded her head at Danny while tossing a thumb in his direction.

"Which one...you're pointing your thumb at me," Danny noticed, staring at Lydia's glossy pink thumbnail.

"I'm aware," Lydia snarked.

"But...he's...we're...I am totally confused," Danny replied, rubbing his hands over his face. 

"Welcome to the wonderful world of werewolves and confusing sexuality," Stiles laughed. 

"Really though," Allison chuckled. 

"How...could you even be okay with Jackson...oh God, I can't even say it out loud it's too weird," Danny said. 

"You're telling me you've never thought about having sex with Jackson? Because I find that highly improbable," Lydia looked at Danny dubiously. 

Stiles phone buzzed, alerting him that he had a text message.

 

To: Lil Red

1:23pm

Have you ever thought about having sex with Jackson?

To: Sourwuff

1:23pm

get ur nosy snout out of our gossip session. and maybe.

 

Stiles tuned back into the conversation.

"Lydia, I...what if everything gets messed up?" Danny asked.

"You mean like Jackson turning into a giant lizard monster, nearly dying and then becoming a werewolf? Yeah, I think he can handle being a little bit gay. If he's scent marking you, it means he feels safe with you, possessive of you. We already knew all that from before he became a wolf." She answered. "I mean unless you don't want to, which that's still a conversation you're going to have to have with him. Though, I think I've read the signs right all these years, and you've been harboring a huge crush on him, can't say I blame you for that," she added. 

"You make it sound pathetic when you say it like that," Danny groused, staring intently at his empty latte cup. 

"Not any less pathetic than my epic crush, I mean it's hard to trump ten years," Stiles grinned, trying to cheer Danny up. 

"That could be less epic now that Jackson and I are essentially, open for business," Lydia smirked, enjoying the deer in headlights look that bloomed across Stiles' face. 

"Guh...what, what was that now?" Stiles asked a little hysterically. Lydia wore the smuggest smile. Stiles felt his face flush. "Lydia you can't just say stuff like that to me, Jesus Fucking Christmas, I feel like I'm having a heart attack just thinking about it," Stiles complained, wondering why it was so hot in the shop all of sudden. Stiles jumped at his phone buzzing.

 

To: Lil Red

2:30pm

Stop imagining having sex with Lydia, your heart sounds like you're having a panic attack. 

To: Sourwuff

2:31pm

can't help it...r u jealous??

 

"How is it that everyone at this table has been thoroughly embarrassed but Lydia," Danny complained. 

"Fate," Stiles snorted, still trying to force the color from his face. 

"She'd be interested in having sex with Derek," Allison offered. 

"I told you that in confidence!" Lydia exclaimed. 

 

To: Lil Red

2:36pm

I'm not jealous.

 

"Wait, really?" Stiles asked, his embarrassment fading. 

"Well, I mean, who doesn't want to try the alpha out! He parades around in those wife beaters, and it's not like it's difficult to notice how nice he looks in a pair of jeans" Lydia answered. Allison and Danny nodded their heads in understanding. 

"Well, this has been very enlightening," Stiles noted. 

"Think we should go now, before my dad and Derek have a fit over how long we've stayed," Allison sighed, looking over her good shoulder at the car parked outside. 

"Yeah, Stiles and I have a date with Deaton," Lydia said, getting up, and motioning to Danny to hand her, her purse. 

"Defensive magic session," Stiles said out loud, knowing Derek would hear him. His mate's text message wasn't very convincing. 

"Deaton really thinks you have a knack for it huh?" Allison asked. She smiled gratefully as Stiles slung her purse onto his shoulder. 

"Stiles has a knack for it. I, so far, have done nothing but cause small fires in his office," Lydia pouted. Jesus fuck, Stiles thought, even pouting she was gorgeous. 

"Can't get the hang of it?" Danny asked.

"I'm awful, every thing I try ends up in fire. Deaton's not sure how I could mess up writing protective runes, I mean anyone could do that, but after they are all down, fire sprouts up. It's very frustrating," Lydia grumbled. 

"We're seeing you later yes?" Allison looked at the others hopefully. 

"Yes, we're all going to be at the Den later, so you won't be cooped up with your overbearing mates," Lydia answered, opening the door for them. Hopefully, this time with Deaton, she could actually produce something other than the same fire she saw in her nightmares.


	6. Up in Flames

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The hunters make another appearance, and Lydia leads the rescue party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The hunters are back and this time the pack is ready for them. There's some interesting moments between Peter and Erica going on. I hadn't realized I shipped them, until I shipped them. I think that Erica's in a unique position to understand Peter and it makes for really interesting interaction between them. un-beta'd all mistakes are my own :)

Erica pressed fingers against Peter's back, tracing invisible patterns down his spine, and listening to the change in his breathing. 

"I was sleeping," he mumbled against his pillow. They were in Peter's house, a one floor, one bedroom, rental on the outskirts of the town. It was as far away from neighbors as he could get. With the construction back under way on the Hale house, and most of the pack bunking at Stiles' house, Peter had needed somewhere he could get away from the bustle of his packmates.

"And now you're not," she teased, taking her hand back now that he was awake. Peter indulged her touches, but she knew that he did it more to please her than himself.

"Why are you awake?" He asked gruffly. 

"It's only nine o'clock. You were sleep talking," she answered. They had spent most of the day in bed, exhausting each other into a nap.

"Mm," he responded, rolling over to face her. "About bad things?" His sharp eyes focused in on her. 

"About sad things," she responded softly, watching him closely. Peter's eyes were usually expressive, and while he kept most of his pain to himself, she could still see the insanity he carried lurking in them. 

"Oh." He didn't know what to say to her, whether or not he should apologize. Erica decided for him, speaking up first.

"It doesn't bother me, I just thought maybe that you wouldn't want me to know, about any of that without telling me yourself. And since, I doubt you'd want to tell me that stuff at all, I wanted to keep your secrets safe." A crease had formed on her forehead, and her fingers twitched, as if she wanted to reach out to him.

"Thank you, but you don't have to worry about me." He bridged the space between them, reaching out with a thumb to smooth the furrow in between her eyes.

"If I don't, who will?" She nipped the fingers that were closest to her, using blunt human teeth and pressing them into his flesh. Peter was the only one of her packmates that never pulled away from her nipping. He wouldn't bite back like Isaac, or snarl like Jackson. Wouldn't gently wrestle his hand away and ruffle her hair like Danny. Wouldn't flash red eyes at her, or flick her nose like Stiles. He never made a sound, not a growl, not a squeak, not a whimper like Scott. Not a roll of the eyes like Lydia or Boyd. Not a playful shove like Allison. He just let her pinch his skin between her teeth, staring at her with a certain fondness that made Erica want to scream at her other packmates to help him. 

"I'm sure if you were incapacitated in any way and unable to worry about me that you'd send Boyd to do your worrying for you. You're lucky we don't age the same as humans or you'd have worry lines grooved into that pretty face," Peter said, watching her rub her cheek against his knuckles. 

"I guess I am, there's plenty to worry about lately," Erica sighed, giving in to her wants and rolling into the older wolf until her head was tucked under his chin. 

"We should've killed the remaining hunters."

"I agree, but if we want the Argents' help we can't slaughter people all willy nilly." She lay still in his arms, not rubbing her face against his like she wanted to. She waited for him to initiate contact, taking her cues from what he didn't say, and the tension in his muscles. Peter was a skilled liar, and his scent gave very little away, but he couldn't hide the twitch in his skin. 

"It wouldn't have been willy nilly, it would have methodically planned out killing. Organized, even," he scoffed, smoothing a hand down her back, tracing the knobs of her spine through her sleep shirt. 

"Mr. Argent did what he thought was right. Besides, how much trouble could they cause from a state over, stranded without any technology, money, or even a map for where they are?" 

"Unnecessary trouble. They shot his daughter, I would've thought he'd want to put them down. Especially that piece of work, Silberer." 

"Not everyone seeks bloody revenge," she told him, grinning into his collarbone. 

"I hope you never have reason to," he said, closing his eyes and breathing in the soft scent of her strawberry shampoo. He let himself indulge in what she offered to him, pack, friendship, confidante, herself. She gave so easily of the things Peter had tried to avoid, that he had finally given up avoiding her. Persistent, stubborn, Erica had dug out a hole in her life big enough for him to fall into no matter how hard he tried to walk around it. 

"Boyd's going to swing by in the morning and...Peter?" Erica asked as she felt him go rigid. A sound outside the house had captured his attention. 

"Someone's outside," he said, focusing in on the sounds of multiple people circling the perimeter. 

"Hunters?" Her heat begun to race and his wolf uncurled from inside him, his claws slipping free in answer to her distress. 

"I think CLOSE YOUR EYES!" He clamped his hands over her eyes and ears as a bolted arrow shattered the window. He squeezed his eyes shut just as a blinding light filled the room. Peter grabbed Erica, tearing her off the bed and dragging her into the hallway. A shatter of more glass and then an unmistakable whoosh of air made him pause. Peering into the bedroom, he froze as fire licked at the curtains and carpet. 

"Peter we have to go!" Erica's voice pulled him out of his haze. He tried to focus on the hunters' footsteps outside, to see how many of them there were, but other than the sound of flames in the living room, he didn't hear anything else. 

"Stay in the hallway," he ordered, feeling himself change, fangs filling his mouth. Opening the door, he stepped two steps outside and froze. A thick line of mountain ash circled the house, leaving barely a foot's space between it and the door. The hunters had either left or moved out of hearing range. Now, he knew why. They intended to let the fire kill them, slowly. 

*****

Lydia woke with a gasp, sweating and with tears falling down her cheeks. She felt the pull of Peter's link, anxiety filling her. Something was very wrong. Tossing the comforter back into Jackson's face, she ran over to her closet. She'd fallen asleep trying to translate a new entry of the bestiary, and Jackson had followed her, not bothering to stay awake.

"Lydia, what are you doing?" Jackson asked in disgruntled tones, sitting up. He felt his wolf pacing, straining inside him. Weird, he'd never felt this before, as if his wolf wanted to take him somewhere.

"Get up, we have to go," she commanded, having pulled on a new pair of black leather boots. The only black leather jacket she owned, went on next, over her blue satin nightdress. Jackson stared in confusion as she grabbed a large oblong case he'd never seen before. "Jackson! Get up, or I'm leaving without you," she growled, stomping out of the room. 

Not bothering with a shirt, he grabbed his sweatshirt off the floor, and shoved his feet into his shoes sans socks. Lydia's tone had him rushing after her, jogging in front to start his car.

"Where are we going?" He asked, knowing that she felt it too, whatever it was. 

"Towards the Hale house, right on the edge of town before the forest begins. Jackson, forget everything I've ever said about speed limits, now is not the time to be observing the law," she told him, the sense of urgency welling up inside her. 

"Noted," he said, pressing the gas harder. 

*****

"Alright, spill it, what is wrong with you three?" Chris Argent asked the teenagers at his dinner table after watching Isaac jump at the sound of a spoon hitting the side of a cup. Scott had been no better, spilling water over the table twice. Graceful werewolves, they were not. Allison for her part couldn't stop stirring her tea, sloshing it over the side every now and then. 

"Um, what do you mean?" Scott asked back, looking over at Allison for some clue. 

"You keep jumping, and twitching, and fidgeting as though I've been threatening you with wolfsbane or you've done something you don't want me to know about. Since I haven't been doing the former, go ahead and tell me what you've done," he told them, watching as confusion crossed their faces. 

"Something feels sort of...off," Isaac supplied, his hand twitching. 

"What do you mean off?" 

"Like I want to get up and start pacing, or go somewhere," Allison replied, brushing her hair out of her face. 

"Yeah, I feel the same, you think something's wrong?" Scott asked. 

 

To: Puppies (Group)

9:15pm

um, can evryone just check n? derek's been acting weird n i'm starting to feel anxious

 

"What's it say?" Chris asked as their phones buzzed simultaneously. 

"It's Stiles, he says Derek's feeling it too. It's not coincidence that we're all being affected," Allison surmised, sending out a quick text to let the alphas know where they were and that they were okay. She saw her dad get up go to the living room. "Dad?"

He walked back into the room carrying a large shotgun and an ammo box. 

"You two keep your ears open, Allison, grab your automatic crossbow from upstairs. Let's be prepared in case something is happening," he told them, feeling relieved for the first time that his daughter's mates had supernatural hearing. He hated being taken by surprise.

*****

"It's Erica, I know it is, it has to be, she isn't answering her phone, I can feel her, we have to go, she's with Peter," Boyd told his packmates. His eyes had already bled golden, and if they didn't make a plan right now, he was going to run out into the night towards Peter's house. 

"Derek, take Boyd in your car, Danny and I will follow in mine," Stiles told his mate. Derek's eyes had started shining red, and his wolf growled with the thought of having Stiles out of his sight. 

"Go on, we'll be right behind you," Stiles promised. 

"Call your dad, let him know where we're going," the alpha said, gripping Stiles' hand before leaving out the window, Boyd right behind him. 

"Okay, I have the herbs that smell like dead possum and the other ones that smell like some type of lily. Which one does the immobilizing, and which one causes confusion, because that's not a mistake I want to make?" Danny asked, holding up a duffel bag with supplies. 

"Lily is the one that causes confusion," Stiles said from inside his closet. "Alright, let's go," he said, emerging with a baseball bat in his hand. Etched onto the sides of it were runes from different spells and alphabets. Stiles had been practicing a few key chants with Deaton, and though he didn't have any practice saying them under pressure, he wasn't going to let the wolves fight without him. That was his mate and his pups and he'd be damned if he was going to let the hunters have at his pack. 

*****

"Oh fuck," Jackson swore upon seeing the house in flames. Lydia opened up the case in her lap to reveal a paintball gun already filled with her signature purple balls. "What the fuck is that for?" He asked, as she got out and ran towards the burning building. "Lydia!"

Jackson hurried after her, looking around to see if there were hunters nearby. 

"Jackson!" Lydia had run around the house, trying to see Peter or Erica. Instead she found the back steps destroyed and an upside down bathtub in their place. Coughing as the smoke started to get to her, she kneeled down to take care of the line of mountain ash. 

"Get down!" Jackson yelled, tackling Lydia to the ground as bullets whizzed above them. Jackson rolled off of her and limped away pretending to be hurt to draw their fire towards him. Sitting up, Lydia aimed at the hunters walking towards them and shot them both in the chest. She quickly thought of her nightmares, of fire surrounding her, eating at her with heated jaws. It was easy with the fire raging next to her, and she watched with a detached fascination as blue flames erupted from the middle of the paint splatters, engulfing the hunters. They screamed, arms waving in an attempt to put themselves out. When they fell to the ground, Lydia felt satisfied that they were no longer a threat. 

"Anymore?" She asked Jackson. He looked at her with a stunned expression that showed even through his wolf face, and shook his head. Leaning over, she broke the mountain ash line. The bathtub flipped over, showing that Peter and Erica were underneath. Peter stumbled to his feet, holding Erica to him as if she would float away. 

"Are you alright?" Jackson asked them, motioning for them to get to his car.

"Yeah," Erica answered shakily. She was soaked with water, as if she had been laying inside of the tub and not under it. Peter was the same. Lydia turned her back to them, making sure that no one else would be coming for them.

"This is the second time I've had a house burn down," Peter commented, leaning against the Porsche. "I won't be getting my cleaning deposit back."

They turned their heads at the sound of screeching tires. The Camaro and Jeep rolled up behind them. 

"Erica!" Boyd cried out, shoving Derek out of the way to get to her.

"I'm okay, I'm okay, Peter made sure of that," she tried to reassure her frantic mate as he held her face in his hands, searching for wounds. Boyd looked at Peter with such gratitude that the older wolf almost had to look away. He never wanted anyone looking at him with that much blatant relief. Crowding in, Boyd grabbed Peter in a hug, sandwiching Erica between them. 

"Thank you, just...thank you," Boyd whispered, holding him tight. 

"We're pack," Peter stated.

"Shit, my dad's not going to like this," Stiles said, dialing his dad on his phone. 

"What're those from?" Derek asked, pointing at the twin smoldering spots of blue flames on the lawn. 

"From me," Lydia spoke up, still holding her paintball gun tightly. 

"So, that's what those private practice sessions with Deaton have been about," Danny guessed. 

"Yeah, turns out the reason all of my attempts at spell work end up in fire, is because that is what my magic is tied to. Deaton called me a firestarter."

"I'm guessing those spots were hunters," Stiles said, thinking about how much scarier Lydia was now that she could conjure up fire. He took a moment to be worried about Jackson's crotch. 

"We need to call the Argents," Derek added, taking his phone out of his pocket. 

"We should go before the police get here. We shouldn't all be here," Stiles remarked, looking at the fire devouring Peter's house. 

Erica looked up at Peter with trepidation. 

"Go on, go, I have to stay because it's my house but you're wet and it's cold. I'll be fine, go," he pushed her lightly at Boyd. She went hesitantly, allowing Boyd to lead her to the Camaro. 

Lydia and Jackson shared a look before he said, "We'll stay, the rest of you should check in with the Argents." 

Derek looked over at Stiles who nodded.

"Okay, check in every fifteen minutes," Derek ordered as they got back into their prospective vehicles. 

"You didn't have to stay," Peter let them know as he watched the alphas drive off. 

"There could be more hunters," Lydia asserted, buttoning up her jacket now that she felt the chill in the air. Jackson took his sweatshirt off and handed it out to her. Smiling her thanks, she gave him her gun to hold as she slipped it on. They stood in silence, watching as the fire crackled and the blue flames finally died down, waiting for the wail of sirens.


	7. A Historical Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Important talks are had, a grocery trip is made, and unexpected sex happens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A grocery shopping trip, a meeting, and some sex happen in this chapter. The sex has the following warning: a bit of gagging. I feel like my kinks sort of exploded all over this chapter, so beware of falling kinks lol. un-beta'd all mistakes are my own :) thank you to those who have commented and left kudos, it as always, is appreciated

"I still can't believe they burnt Peter's house down. And that Erica was with him, are they together now?" Scott asked Stiles, wrinkling his nose at all the meatless products that were going into the grocery cart. Maybe when Stiles wasn't looking, he could slip some actual meat in there. The Sheriff would thank him for it.

"Uhh, not sure. I don't think together is the right word for whatever it is they're doing," Stiles answered, putting turkey hot dogs into the cart. 

"Can't you tell what they're doing, you're the one with the expert nose," Allison said, pushing the cart with one hand after Stiles. Honestly, how could Scott just go around with his nose in the clouds? 

"I tend not to over sniff Peter, sometimes he smells like fire or dirt." Scott tried to put more than one bag of cookies in the cart but Allison caught him and glared until he put them back. 

"Here you push, maybe it'll help you keep your hands to yourself," Allison told Scott, smiling back at the dopey smile that he gave her. She went over to where Stiles was contemplating cheese and threaded her fingers in between his. He didn't even bother to glance over at her, just wrapped his hand around hers, and decided on sharp cheddar over medium. 

"Alright, I think we have just about everything. Just need the milk and...okay who let the puppy out of their sight?" Stiles groused, turning around to see only Scott, where he was expecting Scott and Isaac. Isaac had a habit of wandering off whenever they were in stores. Scott looked to his right and shrugged. Quirking his head to the side, he picked out Isaac's heartbeat a few aisles over.

"This way," Scott said, walking towards his mate. He lead Allison and Stiles over to the pet section and stopped at the end of the aisle. Isaac was at the other end, holding up a thin dog collar. 

"Scott why did you sto...oh," Allison commented, staring at their mate fondle a collar. She felt warmth spread out from her core, the thought of Isaac in a collar pushing a button she hadn't known she had.

"I'm guessing we just all had the same fantasy," Stiles rasped. Allison and Scott nodded. Isaac finally looked up to see his mates staring at him earnestly, and spooked himself into throwing the collar he was holding back onto the racks, causing other ones to fall. Hurriedly, he picked the fallen ones up, haphazardly putting them back and going over to his mates, ears red. 

"So, are we done? Yes, okay, good," Isaac all but babbled as he took the cart away from Scott and pushed it towards the check out lines. 

Allison recovered first, clearing her throat and nudging Scott with her shoe to follow them. Scott never thought he'd have an erection in a grocery store, but then nothing ever went as Scott thought. 

*****

Two Hales and an Argent walk into a coffee shop, Peter thought to himself. The punch line should have been something about how they killed each other or that no one made it out alive. Instead, Derek had told him that he had to act civil. Pffft. 

Peter couldn't help but notice that Chris Argent looked liked he aged fifteen years within the last two months. Sure it had been a rough year on everyone, but that was no excuse to let yourself go. When was the last time the man had shaved? This was supposed to be an important, historical meeting, or whatever, didn't that at least warrant shaving? Peter's house had burned down and he had managed to shave. He had even bought new clothes, though that was more out of a necessity to not be wearing sweatpants, because that was the only pair of pants that had made it out. Even the bags under Chris' eyes had bags. Peter couldn't ever remember seeing himself with bags like that, not even after being dead. Maybe he should start sending Allison home with casseroles or something, Peter thought. The hunter was looking a bit gaunt. He just smelled tired. Like old, dusty curtains. It was actually making Peter feel kind of bad for the human, which was in turn making him feel sort of angry about it.

They were in the coffee shop the pups favored, and Peter hated to admit that they actually had decent coffee here. Not as good as the stuff Lydia brewed, but better than most other places he had tried. 

A throat cleared and Peter looked up out of his musings, a smile forming on his face. 

"Yes?" 

"Is there something you'd rather be doing?" Chris asked, gripping onto his coffee cup as if it was a lifeline. 

"Many things," Peter grinned, as he openly leered at Chris. The hunter glared back.

"Uncle, please," Derek groused, feeling very much like he wanted the earth to just swallow him now if this is how the meeting was going to go. 

"Since I imagine you weren't listening, I was saying how-"

"You spent all morning having a great big chat with another hunter family you actually trust and how you want to take Derek with you to their town to meet up with the local pack. Now, that we've established I can multitask daydreaming and paying attention, let's talk about all the reasons why this is a terrible idea," Peter commented, before taking a bite out of a chocolate croissant. 

"They're close with their pack, the Aranrhod's. Maybe not as close as to co-mingle, but close enough that when Silberer and her crew waltzed in they fought back. I can't go alone. My name is tied to the fire and they'll turn me away. If Derek and I go together, it'll convince them to help us get rid of the rest of-"

"The rest of what, the council? Because I remember you saying that they are the one who sent Silberer here. You're going to just go on this huge trip to wherever they are and kill them all? I think you need to step back and reevaluate your planning skills," Peter interrupted Chris again. 

"I can't stay here and wait until they come for Allison. I have to go to them, to either make them see reason or get rid of them," Chris said, his voice hardened with conviction. 

"To leave now would make the pack vulnerable," Derek stated. 

"We're just waiting here to be picked off. More will come, and we'll run out of options before they do," Chris added, taking a sip of his coffee.

Peter watched as Derek sighed, and dread filled him. He knew most if not all of his nephew's many sighs, and this one sounded like #3 in the resolute series. He wasn't actually contemplating this...was he? 

"I'd have to talk it over with my pack," Derek said. Peter rolled his eyes.

"You mean you have to talk it over with Stiles. Your mate is going to rip you a new one, he's not going to be happy with this at all," Peter shook his head in mock sympathy. 

"You're the alpha, your mate is a seventeen year old kid, why do you have to speak it over with him?" Chris tilted his head in confusion.

"For the same reason that you can't touch him without me tearing your face off," Derek deadpanned.

"Oh, yes, this is going to be a lovely road trip. Instead of playing car games you can just award points for the most imaginative death threats," Peter chuckled. 

"What you think it's fair for Stiles to have a say?"

"I think it's more than fair, I think that if Stiles adamantly refused, I wouldn't even need a reason as to why. These are things you need to understand for you to truly comprehend what it means for Allison to be in a pack of wolves."

"I get that you'd understand, Stiles outranks you, but Derek outranks everyone."

"Yes, and when Derek orders that Stiles stay behind, I wonder what he would do? Because I seem to remember that Stiles doesn't take well to orders, and with the pups backing him, it'd take him no time at all to track the two of you down. I don't imagine the Sheriff would like that very much, his underage son traipsing over God knows where to try to aid you two." 

Chris sighed. 

"He'll understand the need for this. He's being talking lately about inter-werewolf pack communications, and bridging the gap between packs," Derek said. He took a moment to locate Stiles, to listen to the pace of his heart, and the sound of him laughing. To keep him safe, to keep them all safe, Derek would take what was sure to be the most awful road trip in road trip history. 

*****

"You forgot the milk," Lydia pointed out, taking the new tea boxes from a bag and shelving them. No one touched the tea cabinet without Lydia's approval. Last time the herbals were mixed in with the blacks and there was a small riot of white teas meandering about. Complete tea anarchy. 

"Oh, yeah," Stiles mumbled, trying to organize the refrigerator better. He pointedly looked away from her and prayed that he wouldn't blush. Lydia would hound him until he fessed up that seeing Isaac holding a collar in a grocery store had turned him on. 

"Stiles," Lydia started, staring at the tea.

"Okay, look I know you don't like the holiday teas mixing with the hot chocolate but that tea has chocolate in it, where is it supposed to go?" Stiles defended himself, expecting her to go on another hot chocolate versus tea rant. 

"What does it feel like," Stiles turned his head quickly enough that he felt a crick start in his neck, but Lydia's voice sounded so small, "having two mates? I'm not talking about the sex, but the other stuff, the sensing each other...what does it feel like?" 

"Like I'm sensing two wolves, instead of one. Lydia what-"

"No, please, just tell me more," She insisted, interrupting what was sure to be a question she didn't want to answer yet.

"Uh, it feels like, well with Derek he just took up space immediately, as if he was always in my mind. All alpha. I can feel, not as well as the wolves, but I can feel what he feels. And when he checks in on me when he's not here it's like a tug on my sleeve, or a whisper in my ear. With Isaac, I sense him less, he's not an alpha, and I'm not a wolf, but I still feel him. Like a background noise, he's always there, comforting. I'm not sure how else to put it other than, it's a connection, you can't see it, but it's like you're more. There's more of you. Does that, uh, help?" Stiles was searching her posture, her face for clues on what she was thinking, but she'd already slipped a blank mask into place. 

"Yes, unfortunately, it helps," she said, closing the cabinet and turning to face him. "Come on, let's go see the mock-up site Danny put together. I'm sure I'll have a page full of critiques," she smirked, pushing past him to go up the stairs. 

Stiles wasn't that oblivious to not notice her attempts at changing the subject, so he left it alone for now, but the curiosity was killing him. 

Upstairs the betas were all hunched over Danny, who was looking a little uncomfortable from all the attention. Or the fact that Erica essentially had her breasts resting on his head as she leaned over enough to see the computer screen. 

"I think the font should be smaller, is this site for geriatric wolves?" Erica put her two cents in. 

"I don't know, do werewolves even have eye problems? Is near-sightedness a thing for you guys, because glasses run in my family. And I'm not talking about the fashionable ones, I'm talking about the two inch thick bifocals," Danny complained.

"Are you thinking of asking Derek for the bite to cure your maybe near-sightedness?" Boyd asked, trying to gently disentangle Erica from their human packmate, but it was a losing battle. 

The growl that burst from Jackson, was feral and deep, rattling around the room and effectively silencing all conversation. 

Danny cleared his throat, hoping that the wolves would all ignore his stupid heart.

"Well, I had put a little thought into it," Danny started again, only to have Jackson continue growling. "Stop that, how could I not have thought about it? I don't know, I'm split fifty fifty right now, maybe it's just not the right time," he explained. 

"You'd make a fine wolf, now scoot over, I want to see what you have," Lydia ordered, trying to push her way in and not succeeding. Giving her own growl of frustration, she situated herself in Boyd's lap to see the screen. "Oh God, it's not going to stay that color right? There has to be better background options."

"It's just a prototype! We can tinker with font and color and the arrow and all the minor details later, but does the layout look okay?!" Danny exclaimed. 

"Looks fine to me," Scott offered.

"Derek and Peter are back," Erica announced, flopping backwards onto Jackson who was trying to inch as close to Danny as he could. 

"I should've just asked Derek from the beginning and not all of you fuss pots," Danny remarked.

"If you wanted the pure truth with a little snark you should've asked Peter," Stiles countered.

Derek stepped into the room and all the wolves instantly snapped to attention. 

"Go downstairs," he commanded, eyes flashing red for a brief moment, letting them know that he wasn't asking. They hadn't had the alpha eyes used on them for a while and the random flash had them all stunned. Silently they made their way out of the room, casting Derek and Stiles concerned looks. Isaac left last and Derek grabbed him in a brief hold, rubbing his face against the golden wolf's, and stroking down his side before giving him a little push out the door. Isaac closed it on the way out, a formality more than anything. He for one was going to shamelessly eavesdrop. 

"Derek?" Stiles asked, sitting on the edge of the bed. Derek tried to open his mouth to tell him about the meeting, to tell Stiles how he was going to have to be gone for a while. But for all of his trying his jaw felt bolted shut, and he grit his teeth with how pathetic it was that the thought of leaving his mates had him this messed up already. "Derek?"

The alpha ground his teeth and went to Stiles, kneeling between his legs. 

"Okay, you're officially freaking me out. It's okay you can tell me where the body is, I'll get the shovel and we'll be done by dinner time," Stiles joked, carding his fingers through Derek's hair. 

"I have to go on a road trip," Derek growled the words out, leaning into Stiles' touch.

"You suddenly need to find yourself? I mean I'm all for a little spiritual traveling, but is now really the time to get in touch with your inner wolf?" Stiles smelled of panicked confusion and it wasn't helping Derek's nerves.

"I'm not going by myself. Chris Argent is going as well."

"Oh, because that makes actually less sense than more. You keep trying to plop me in the middle, Sourwolf, try from the beginning." 

Pet names should really not make his heart speed up, Derek thought. 

"There's a pack in Colorado that have hunters on their side. When Silberer came for the wolves, the hunters fought to save them. Chris thinks we can establish allies. He wants to eliminate the council threats, and soon. I need to go with him."

"By yourself?" 

Derek nodded.

"We don't know anything about this pack and you want to just waltz in, on the hope that the hunters there will be open to chatting with a strange alpha?" 

"Chris is having a negotiation talk with them before we even get in the car so it'll go over smoother."

"You can't take Peter or a pair of the pups, or I don't know, me?" Stiles tried to argue, his voice rising in volume. 

Derek shook his head.

"You have to stay here, you know this. You have to be the alpha while I'm gone and look over our territory and our pack. I'm leaving Peter here to look after the house construction. Try not to leave him alone with it, or it'll turn into a five story monstrosity with wings," Derek told him, trying to smile but failing. 

"This is bullshit," Stiles complained loudly.

"I know."

"I hate this so fucking much. What if something happens, and I'm not there to bail your furry ass out?" 

"Then I'm going to have to rely on Chris to bail me out."

"Right, because I have so much faith in Mr. Argent to take care of you."

"I don't need taking care of," Stiles snorted, "It'll be a few weeks tops, and then I'll be back in time to see the elaborate paint schemes Lydia is no doubt planning for the rooms." 

"Weeks! You said Colorado, and I know I passed Geography, it shouldn't take you weeks to go there and get back!" 

"After Colorado, we're hoping to be assisted both by the hunters and their pack to track down the other hunter extremists."

"Hunter extremists? Jesus Christ, you two are going on some ridiculous assassin trip."

"Not ridiculous if it keeps you safe. If it keeps all of us safe."

"No, no, no, don't talk reasonably about this I want to be mad at you, and I can't if you're playing the this-will-keep-you-safe card!" Stiles glared at Derek, hands tightening in his hair. "Do you really think this will work?" 

"They'll just keep coming for us. Chris is right, we have to go to them." Please, understand, Derek thought. 

Stiles gave a sharp nod, his entire body protesting the movement. 

"You better take your phone charger because I'm going to text you so much."

"That's fine."

"And keep it on, because I'm going to have Danny track you the entire time. I want an itinerary, and if you stray off of that, I'm going to go retrieve you in one of my dad's squad cars."

"Okay," Derek grinned. 

"Okay, then. Come, here," Stiles said, grabbing Derek's head and crushing their mouths together. Derek let Stiles drag him onto the bed, laying back as his younger mate bit harsh kisses onto his lips. Derek heard his uncle complaining downstairs about teenage hormones, and smiled into Stiles, lifting up his mate's shirt to rid him of it. 

Stiles removed Derek's belt, tossing it onto the floor in the growing pile of clothes. His pants went next as he lifted his hips and reached down to tug them off his foot. He laid back down, enjoying Stiles' gaze, and watching as his mate's eyes went dark with lust. Stiles palmed over Derek's half hard erection and scooted down until he could take it in his mouth. Stiles liked the feel of Derek in his mouth, and he loved the sensation of soft to hard as each lick and suck made Derek even harder. 

Derek's hand twitched helplessly as he fought the urge to shove Stiles down, to take him further, to fuck into his warm mouth. Stiles wanted Derek to come undone, and he used the one guaranteed trick he had to make the alpha cum fast. Instead of pulling back when he felt his gag reflex kick in, Stiles took Derek in deeper, making a small choking noise and then moving away to breathe before repeating.

The sound of Stiles gagging on his cock tore a startled moan out of him and he quickly sat up to watch. Stiles worked him over, creating a rhythm that had Derek's eyes rolling into the back of his head, panting and straining up. When Derek did cum it was down Stile's throat and they both moaned. Rolling over as Stiles gave a small cough, Derek reached for their tube of lube that was going to need replacing soon. He passed it to Stiles who was giving him a considering look. 

"I think I want you on the wall," Stiles said, nodding to the closest one. Derek nodded, showing more neck than he normally would, giving control over to his human mate. He went over to the wall, facing it on his knees, and put his hands against it, dropping his head down and waiting for Stiles. 

Stiles had topped before, had had Derek in nearly every way that he could, so seeing Derek's back wasn't a new thing. Nor was seeing the tattoo that Derek had, but he still wasn't used to Derek letting him have this so easily. He traced the triskele with his tongue as he eased a finger into Derek, his own dick throbbing at the small sounds Derek was making. Stiles enjoyed this part, the careful stretching and the trembling in Derek's thighs as he stayed still for it. 

They both caught their breath as Stiles pushed in, slowly, using more lube to help. Derek groaned out bits of his name along with broken pieces of what was "more", and "harder", but it was garbled together with the growls that spilled from him. 

Stiles gripped Derek's hips, getting leverage to put depth behind his thrusts, panting against Derek's spine, hot puffs of air that caused the hair on Derek's neck to stand on end. The alpha reached down to touch himself and was batted away by Stiles. He growled in protest but Stiles bit the back of his neck, holding him in place as his hips started a quicker pace, making it harder for Derek to catch his breath. 

Stiles bit down on the purchase of skin and muscle he had between his teeth as he stroked Derek's length. Derek's growls turned to whines that had pleasure coiling in Stiles' groin when he heard them. Derek's orgasm crashed into him, igniting sparks behind his eyes. The spurt of wetness against his hand had Stiles following right behind Derek, his orgasm rolling through him. 

"Der?" Stiles groaned as he slipped out, sitting back on his legs. 

"Mm?" Derek asked back, trying to get his breathing under control.

"I'm going to have to re-plaster the wall," Stiles said. Derek looked at his hands, which had turned into claws about halfway through, and realized that they were joint deep into the wall. He had scratched the paint off and there would be definite claw drags in it. He started laughing. Stiles joined him, and he memorized the sound of it, sharp and full. 

"Isaac," Stiles called out, knowing the wolf had been listening, and was probably waiting for them to call him.

"Second round already?" Derek asked. 

"Pff, not for me, human males have this little thing called a refractory period Derek, I know it's startling because you're a werewolf and if you have a refractory period I haven't seen it, but some of us are human. I want to happily bliss out and watch you knot him," Stiles said casually. 

"Are you serious!" Peter yelled out, making both of them grin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel like you're missing out on a knotting scene? I'm going to be plopping that into Behind the Scenes sometime at the end of the week :)


	8. The Pack Farewells

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The pack sends Derek and Chris Argent off onto their awkward roadtrip.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, pre-finals week this week, and then finals next week, so expect extremely slow updates until the Friday after next. In this chapter, the pack sees Derek and Chris off on their trip, and Peter gets an interesting offer. Also, I'm extrememly excited to finally say, I have a wonderful beta reader StefanyD who has generiously offered to catch my mess ups. :)

"Repeat after me, 'I will not crash Derek's car'," Derek said, holding out his keys with an almost frown already on his face. 

"I'm not going to crash your car," Scott repeated, making a grab for the keys. Derek moved his hand back so that Scott missed.

"What will happen if you crash my car?" Derek asked, holding his keys up high and to the left of him. 

"You'll tear my throat out with your teeth," Scott sighed. Was he ever going to get a new one-liner threat?

"Good, as long as you know," Derek stated, tossing Scott the keys and watching his face light up. Jesus, his Camaro was going to be fucking totaled when he came back, he just knew it. He put his hand on Scott's shoulder, catching the beta's attention.

"Take care of them, and yourself, I'm going to be gone through the next full moon," Derek watched as Scott understood the implication. His change was still the hardest, and he hadn't been through a full moon without Derek for months now. Scott nodded solemnly.

"You too, huh," Scott said, looking over at Allison's father. Derek gave a little nod, and watched Scott amble over to where the Argent's were saying their goodbyes.

"Me, next," Erica bounced up to the alpha. "Come on, pat my head and say you're going to miss me," she grinned. To her surprise, his hand darted out and quickly gave her three small pats. Her grin faltered and she launched herself at him, arms circling him in a hug. "Don't worry about us too much okay? You just worry about getting back," she told him, nuzzling his shoulder. 

"You be careful with that one," Derek told her, eyes sliding to where Peter was talking with Stiles. 

"Derek," she started but he cut her off.

"No, no judgments, no other words besides be careful. And please make sure Stiles doesn't become a hermit, actually get him out of the house," Derek asked of her. 

"I promise I won't let your mate pine all day." She stepped away from him, and patted his arm before striding towards Scott. 

"Boss," Boyd said, "Are you sure you can't take me, I know everyone would feel a lot better if you weren't by yourself." 

"I need you here, I'm leaving both my mates here and if there are more hunters, I need you to keep them safe."

"You got it." Boyd held out his arm and Derek took it. He felt the bond he had with Boyd, how strong the wolf had gotten. It made him proud. 

Lydia stepped in front of Derek after Boyd had left, arms crossed over her chest and one eyebrow raised. 

"When Stiles isn't around, you're in charge. I know you can keep them in line, and you're smart enough to get them out of trouble."

"State the obvious much?" She smiled and hesitated a moment before reaching for Derek's hand. "If you run into trouble call me and not the idiots first, I'll get you out," she told him, her smile unwavering but her eyes full of concern. 

"I have you on speed dial," Derek confided, earning him a smile that reached her eyes. She gave him a wink and sauntered over to Allison.

"Are we really going to do the whole goodbye thing, it's only a few weeks, I don't see why everyone is over reacting," Jackson complained, imitating Lydia's stance with his arms over his chest. Too easy to read, Derek thought. He could scent the beta was uncomfortable. With his wolf grumbling in his ear, he grabbed the boy in a hug. Jackson tensed up, unyielding, until he smelled Erica's scent on the alpha, and then he nuzzled into it. 

"Listen to Stiles, and look after Lydia. She carries too much on her shoulders. Peter's going to be there for the full moon, he'll watch out for you," Derek told him, feeling how nervous Jackson actually was. 

"Okay," Jackson said, stepping back and rubbing a hand through his hair. He gave a small shrug before heading towards Lydia. 

"I have your phone and Mr. Argent's phone tracked on the computer, so we'll be able to follow your progress," Danny stated, shuffling a foot in the dirt. "I also bookmarked the url of the site we're working on, on Mr. Argent's lap top. If you make allies, give it to them and we can keep connected." 

"Stiles is right, you'd make an excellent wolf," Derek commented. "If you ever want it, the bite, it's yours." 

"Oh, um, thanks," Danny said, ducking his head a little before walking away. 

"Here," Allison held out a small bag. Derek took it and peered inside.

"iPods?" He blinked at her quizzically. 

"Yeah, I gathered them from everyone. When my dad would move us, we'd always go to really far places, and he listens to bad country music. Like, really bad. I'm sure you're going to spend at least the first two hours in terrible, awkward, silence, but after that he's going to put his CDs on, and you're going to be subjected to terrible country singers. I'm not sure what you like, but everyone gave theirs up, so you should be able to find something."

"How terrible?" Derek asked. Maybe he should've packed earplugs. 

"Awful, just awful," she shook her head in sympathy. "Derek," she started, stepping up to him and wrapping her good arm around his neck. He held her, acutely aware of her father's gaze on them. "Please, be careful. Make sure you get my dad to pull over when you're hungry, I know how much you eat, and that you won't say anything about it. Also, he snores, like an asthmatic bugle horn, so maybe pick up some earplugs at a gas station. And don't worry about the pack not training, Lydia and I have that covered. And-"

"I'm going to miss you too," he whispered in her ear. She pulled back first, brushing hair out of her eyes. With a half smile on her lips she went to rejoin her father. 

Peter stepped up next, quirking an eyebrow at him, hands in his jacket pockets. 

"Be careful with that one," Derek slid his eyes over to Erica. 

"That's the same thing you told the she-wolf," Peter glared.

"Yes, but the difference is I was telling her to watch out for you, and I'm telling you to be careful of her. She's young and-"

"Oh, do you really want to talk about age differences?" Peter asked looking over at where Stiles and Isaac were leaning against the Jeep. 

"No. Just...take care of them...all of them," Derek searched Peter's eyes, trying to convey how much he needed Peter sane and in control.

"I'll try," Peter replied. "Watch yourself with the hunter," he said, clapping Derek on the shoulder. Derek nodded and Peter turned to go make fun of Chris' facial hair.

Now for the hard ones, Derek thought, watching as Stiles gave Isaac a nudge to go ahead. His mate wrapped lanky arms around him so tight Derek could feel the pinpricks of claws through his shirt. Isaac stayed silent, rubbing his face into the crook of Derek's neck. 

"I know you'll take care of Stiles, you're a good wolf, a good mate. I talked with the Sheriff, so he knows you'll be staying there full time," Derek whispered, breathing deeply, wanting to abate the nervousness he sensed but knowing that he couldn't. Tilting Isaac's face, Derek leaned in and pressed his lips to the golden wolf’s.

"Don't take too long okay? I don't want to have to aid Stiles in stealing a cop car," Isaac huffed, after pulling back. With a last hair ruffle, Derek gave Isaac a half grin. With barely contained fear, Isaac tried to grin back before walking away.

Last one. Derek went to Stiles, crowded him against the Jeep, and rubbed his stubble over fair skin.

"I'm not saying goodbye to you, just so you know. I'm telling you, you'd better come back, in one whole gorgeous manpiece, or I'm going to go on a revenge murdering spree. And how would that look, a Sheriff's kid, going around all assassin-like? You text, and you call, whenever you're able. Be careful, stay safe, and come back," Stiles told him.

"Rehearsed that didn't you?" Derek asked, smiling into Stiles' shoulder.

"Shut up, I had to make sure I got everything out without babbling us both to death," Stiles groused, trying to soak Derek in, his smell, the sound of him scenting, how warm he was. Derek nosed at the spot under Stiles' ear, and whispered something low. Startled, Stiles jerked back, his mouth open in shock. Unable to pass up the opportunity, Derek stole one last kiss, quick and with a small smack sound. Fighting every instinct he had, he went to Chris' car, feeling as though his feet were stuck in mud with every step.

"Derek! You can't just keep saying stuff like that to me! Derek!" Stiles complained, watching his mate get into a car with a hunter. His heart started revving up, a slow panic building. Looking over at Isaac, he caught the wolf's gaze, and saw anguish written all over his features. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. Have to keep it together, he thought, have to just breathe. 

He nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt a slim hand fit into his. Lydia stood next to him, watching with him as Chris drove their alpha out of the driveway and into the street. It wasn't long before they were out of sight. 

"Here," Allison said, holding her hand out to Peter. In her palm was a gold key. 

"I didn't drop that," Peter replied, head slightly tilted in confusion. Allison rolled her eyes.

"I know that. I'm giving it to you. It's a key to my house," she told him, looking at him earnestly.

"Your house," he repeated.

"Yes, my house. There's a spare room at the end of the hall we use to house hunters passing by or when we need more personnel. It has the basics for a bedroom, and I thought since you are again, houseless, and I have too much house for one person, that if you wanted, you could stay here while my dad is gone."

"Spare room?"

"Yes, spare room, are you going deaf, or being intentionally obtuse about this? I have room, you need a place to stay where you can have your own space. I won't go in there, the kitchen is big, there's three bathrooms in the house, two floors, and a backyard. I think it can handle the two of us, especially since I spend most of my time at Stiles' house anyway. I understand if you don't want to, but I thought I'd offer anyway." She shifted her weight, holding his gaze with one hip canted, shoulders back, as if she was issuing a challenge.

"Offer what?" Scott asked, wandering back over from Isaac, eyes darting between Allison and Peter. 

"To stay in her house for the time being," Peter answered, holding the hunter's gaze steady.

"To stay in her WHAT?! Allison, you can't possibly think this is safe! Or sane!" Scott yelped, glaring at Peter as if he had come up with the plan. "What about your father! He's going to kill me when he finds out I let the undead psychopath into your home!" 

"The talking chew toy makes a point, what about your father?" Peter ignored Scott's indignant growl.

"The women are the leaders remember? I'm leading by example." She held her hand out farther, her heartbeat even, but the slight wince that twitched the corners of her mouth spoke of pain from her still healing wound. 

"But Allison-"

"Shush, I can take care of myself," she planted her free hand on Scott's face and pushed him behind her in annoyance. Peter didn't even try to hide his smirk. "Besides, he's pack, and we take care of pack," she reminded him. By now, most everyone was listening in on their conversation, stalling getting into their cars so they could hear the outcome. 

"Yes, we do," Peter agreed, taking the key from her in measured movements, so that he could take her pain away without looking as though he was fondling the girl in front of her mate. 

"Well, I don't like it," Scott grumbled. If looks could kill, Peter thought. 

"You don't have to, as long as it's okay with Stiles." She turned to the reigning alpha, who was just about to get into his Jeep.

Please don't use the Disney princess eyes, please not the princess eyes, Stiles thought just as Allison's gaze went wide and pleading. Dammit. 

"Sorry, man, it's her house, her rules. Besides, at least now she won't be alone in there while her dad is away," Stiles shrugged in sympathy. "And it's not like you aren't going to be over there all the time now that you don't have to worry about Chris dismembering you." 

"I, for one, hope you have insurance on it. Houses tend to burn down around that one," Lydia commented, as she opened up the passenger side of Jackson's Porsche. 

"Jeez, insensitive much," Erica growled, after they had driven away. She leaned into Peter to see the key. 

"I hope you don't mind the she-wolf being in your house. She's like an adorable parasite the way she keeps hanging around. And probably Boyd too," Peter added as the other wolf came up to them. 

"We're a package deal, sort of," Boyd said, sharing a look with Erica. 

"Yeah, that's perfectly fine. Scott and Isaac will probably be over a lot," Allison replied, trying to sort out what type of relationship the three wolves had. "Well, I better get going, we'll be late for our first class as it is," she turned to Scott. His shoulders slumped.

"Your father is so going to kill me," he groaned as he trudged over to the Camaro. 

"Allison," Peter started, "I promise not to break anything," he grinned. She smiled back at him.

"I'm holding you to that," she said sternly. 

Peter waited there until his packmates had left, holding a gold key and staring at the door of the Argent house. What a strange turn of events, he mused to himself as he turned the key in the lock.


	9. Day 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Derek hasn't been gone that long but the pack is already feeling his absence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my gods, I know I'm so late with this, I'm terribly sorry about that but I'm sure you'll understand when I say unexpected life stuff happened. To make it up to y'all, I made it extra long :) 
> 
> In this chapter the pack is trying to get used to not having Derek around, and it's affecting them all in different ways. Some fluff moments happen, and all around adjusting. I made the Sheriff's first name John, because I needed something to call him and he sort of looks like a John. Also, I tossed in some sex so there's sex warnings for this chapter.
> 
> Sex warnings: power play, collar play (with a homemade one) which I admit is probably done in not the safest manner but...werewolves so lol
> 
> My lovely Beta: StefanyD

Stiles jolted awake, a familiar sound piercing through the haze of sleep. It was their third night without Derek, and no one had been sleeping well. In his arms Isaac trembled, caught in another nightmare. His eyes were screwed tightly shut and his forehead was deeply creased as the nightmare caused him to shake.

"Hey, babe, you're dreaming," Stiles whispered, aware that half of the pack was awake and fidgeting. A high pitched whine strained out of Isaac, reminding Stiles of the time he'd accidentally stepped on his cousin's puppy. A shiver pulsed across Isaac's skin and he was changing, his eyes popping open, golden and shining, as claws dragged across Stiles' hand in startled fear.

Stiles winced, but reached out with the same hand to try and comfort his mate, ignoring the stinging sensation that was turning into a dull ache. Isaac had been growling a steady burbling noise until he caught the scent of blood, and then the wolf bled away, leaving a scared teen in its wake.

"I'll get the first aid," Boyd said, turning on the light.

"Stiles," Isaac whimpered, looking at the slivers of welling blood that were filling the shallow scratches. The smell of it made Isaac's stomach roll.

"It's okay, look it's not that bad, just like a really long paper cut," Stiles tried to reassure him, reaching out to hold his hand, but he jerked away, bumping into Scott who was behind him.

"Sorry, sorry, I, just, Stiles, I'm so sorry," Isaac apologized, pushing past Scott and stepping over Allison, both of whom wore worried faces, to get out of the room.

"No, you stay, let Boyd bandage you up, I'll go," Lydia said, putting a hand on Stiles' shoulder to keep him from going after Isaac like he started to. He nodded.

"His nightmares are getting worse," Allison frowned, leaning into Scott.

"They used to be like this, back when it was just the three of us and Derek," Erica commented, vigorously rubbing her eyes. None of Lydia's makeup tips were going to help cover up the bags she had been steadily growing since Derek's departure.

"Did you ever get clawed?" Scott asked. He touched Stiles' good hand to take away the pain while Boyd dabbed antiseptic on the wounds.

"A few times," Boyd answered.

"He better watch himself around Lydia," Jackson growled, earning himself a flick on the nose from Danny.

"It's not like he's the only one who has woken up like that though, you should ease up on him," Danny reminded Jackson. "If I recall, Lydia said you tore through an expensive throw pillow."

"She shouldn't have pillows worth two hundred dollars to begin with. Who needs pillows that you aren't going to use?" Jackson complained rolling over to tuck his face under Danny's leg.

"They aren't deep, with the extra healing from the pack bonds, I don't even think you'll scar," Peter told Stiles. He had pushed Erica down so that he could see Stiles' hand.

Stiles sighed. "Thanks," he told Boyd, as the beta finished tying the knot on the bandage. He looked over at the bedroom door and hoped the pup wasn't blaming himself too much. Stiles had pretty much resigned himself to werewolf mishaps, and hey, accidents happened even to humans. Given what he knew about Isaac though, he could only guess what guilt his mate was putting himself through.

Lydia stood outside of the bathroom, hand poised over the brass knob, and took a deep breath before twisting it open. She squinted in the darkness of the small Stilinski bathroom. Isaac sat curled in the tub, chin resting on his knees. The harsh sounds of his quick breaths were the only sounds she could make out. His eyes couldn't stop changing, an almost involuntary response to his mental state, switching between blue and flashing gold.

"You don't want to be near me right now," Isaac rasped, his voice thick, "I can't, I just can't stop shifting." He didn't look at her, instead he kept his eyes on his hands and the claws that kept retracting.

"You won’t hurt me," she replied softly. She intentionally kept her voice light, and used a different tone than what Jackson referred to as her "everyday bitch" tone.

"If I can hurt my own mate, what makes you think I couldn't hurt you?"

"I didn't say you couldn't hurt me. I said you wouldn't hurt me. What you did to Stiles, you did out of fear and sleep deprivation. You're awake now, you know me, and besides Derek, you're the best at controlling your wolf. I'm not afraid of you," she primly told him, sitting down next to the tub and purposefully not thinking about how long it had been since the floor had been mopped.

"Is he okay?" The wolf's voice shook along with his body.

"He's fine. He's worried about you," she whispered, knowing how futile it was. If her packmates wanted to listen in, there was little she could do to stop them.

"I hurt him, he should be worried about himself. I," he swallowed loudly, "haven't felt this out of control of my body." Contradicting his words, his eyes had stayed blue for longer than they had been; his claws safely tucked away.

"I can understand that," Lydia said, rubbing her hands together.

"You're not a wolf," Isaac stated, sounding petulant and harsh.

"No, I'm not. I'm something different altogether. I know what it's like to have something powerful, and at the same time have it be devastating. Deaton told me that if I don't practice control over my fire, that a strong enough nightmare could end in me spontaneously bursting into flames. I could burn a house down in my sleep, not to mention anyone in the bed with me. So, yeah, I understand feeling out of control." Whoops, the bitch tone slipped in, Lydia thought to herself.

"Oh," Isaac whispered, clenching human hands. He took a few measured breaths. "Lydia, what are you doing?" He squeaked suddenly, scooting backwards as a flash of silk went across his field of vision, and then he had a lap full of Lydia. "You shouldn't, what if-"

"You're not going to hurt me, now hurry up and let's get this cuddle going because it's cold in this tub," she complained, wiggling into place, head on his chest. She could hear his heart rabbit-quick, and grinned when his arms went around her, pulling her up so that her legs could be on top of his, keeping her from the chill bath tub. He tucked her head under his chin, his wolf content with a higher ranking packmate there to provide comfort. Sinking lower in the tub, he closed his eyes.

"Can we stay here a bit?" Isaac asked, feeling the tension bleed out of him. He rarely got the chance to cuddle up with Lydia and now that he was, he understood why Jackson guarded her so closely. Something about her and the pack bond they shared, something about her had his wolf baring it’s throat. He wondered if Derek felt what she could be, and that's why he made her second in charge instead of Scott.

"Of course, puppy," Lydia answered, soaking in the warmth from the supernatural heater under her.

"That's never going to get old is it?" Isaac sighed more for show than anything else. He wasn't about to let everyone know that he secretly loved the nickname.

"Nope," she answered, listening to Isaac's heart retain a regular rhythm. Acting alpha duties covered, Lydia rubbed her face against his collarbone, scent marking him.

"Scott, tell Stiles that I'm sorry, and that I'm alright," Isaac spoke, knowing his mate would hear him, and was probably listening intently.

"Okay," Scott's voice filtered in to his ears.

Isaac titled his head back rumbling with contentment. He could hear Lydia's heart slowing down, but he didn't want to fall asleep just yet. Instead he counted each and every way it would be a terrible idea to fall in love with Lydia Martin.

*****

Sheriff Stilinski yawned widely as he walked down the hallway and to the bathroom. He smelled the coffee that Lydia normally prepared, the pot set to automatic the night before. He hadn't heard the shower run which was peculiar as Lydia and Danny were early risers. Derek leaving affected the kids more than they wanted to let on, but they couldn't hide their restlessness, nor their collective tiredness. He wondered if he should check in on them before he left for work. Flicking on the light, the Sheriff squinted at the bathtub.

"Isaac," he said, giving the wolf in his tub an odd look.

"Um, goodmorning? We'll move," Isaac whispered, gathering Lydia up into his arms. He slipped past the Sheriff, and out of the bathroom.

"I don't even know why I bother being surprised anymore," the Sheriff said out loud, closing the door behind him.

*****

"You sound terrible," Stiles' voice came in staticky through the phone.

"That's just the phone reception," Derek explained.

"No, I don't think so, I think that's just a cover for you sounding like shit. Are they treating you well over there? I don't have to come and kick their asses do I?" Stiles' concern came in clear through the static. Derek could feel Stiles trying to sense him, pulling on their bond. He leaned against the railing on the second floor of the motel they were staying in.

"No, no ass kicking needed. The hunters have been tolerant in their dealings with us. We're meeting the local pack later today."

"As long as you don't go falling in love with some other she-wolf we're all good," Stiles joked.

"Other she-wolf? Does that make you a female wolf as well?"

"Oh, so you get snarky when you're away from the pack," Stiles said fondly.

"Stiles, the last possible thing I could be thinking of is falling head over tail," Derek huffed, rolling one shoulder.

"Don't you know that love finds you when you least expect it?! What with you being prime real estate and all, every wolf with eyes is going to want a piece of you," Stiles mock groaned.

"Unfortunately for them, my pieces are spoken for," Derek commented.

"Damn straight they are," Stiles said smugly.

"Are you going to tell me what happened last night?" Derek asked.

"You felt that?"

"Of course I did, it's sort of hard to ignore both my mates being distressed. I more than likely kept Chris up with my pacing," Derek confessed.

"His nightmares are back. He had a really bad one last night, woke up all wolfed out and accidentally clawed me a little. It wasn't his fault, and it wasn't that bad of a swipe, but you know how he is. He ended up sleeping in the bath tub for the better part of the night with Lydia."

"You're okay, right?"

"Yeah, yeah, it's just a small drag of claws, and honestly, I've had worse marks from your claws after sex."

"How're the rest of them?"

"Let's see, Danny's been working on the website. Lydia's been bossy. Boyd's cool as a cucumber. Jackson is having abandonment anxieties but would never tell anyone. Scott and Allison have both been mopey. Isaac's been a wreck. Erica's been quiet, which is always worrying. And Peter has hired double crews to work on the house."

"I don't want to know where he got the money for that," Derek sighed.

"No one does, but it will cut the construction time in half. Ugh, how are we going to do this? We're not even a week in an already I feel discombobulated. My skin feels too tight, like I know I'm supposed to be somewhere else. It sucks."

"I know," Derek breathed into the phone. He did know, very well. He could feel his wolf straining to get home, to his new pack, and his mates. Somewhere along the way, Stiles and Isaac had become home. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry, you're doing this to keep us safe, so don't be sorry. Just...take care of yourself. "

"I will. I'll check in after the meeting."

"Alright. Bye, Sourwolf," Stiles said.

"Bye, Little Red," Derek answered, giving a small smile at the nicknames. He turned around and walked back into the room he shared.

"How're they?" Chris asked. He was hunched over records of the Council that the hunters had given them. Most of it was useless, but some of it, phone records, names, safe houses, those might be of some help.

"They're alright," Derek replied vaguely.

"Uh huh. As about "alright" as you are I suppose. You don't have to hide it, the uncomfortableness at being so far from your pack," he turned to look at Derek, watching the wolf lay down on a bed. "Can you feel them? Even from this distance?"

"Yes. All of them, not just Isaac and Stiles."

"All of them?" Chris turned in his chair to face Derek.

"Yeah, even Allison. You can ask about her anytime, it takes nothing for me to feel her out," Derek offered, eyes flashing in the fluorescent lighting.

"Thank you," Chris finally said. Derek nodded back. Maybe this would work after all.

*****

Boyd watched as Peter arranged slices of peaches in an artful layer. Erica sat next to him, equally transfixed by the skill that was unfolding before them.

"It's not that difficult of a recipe, really, I feel like I'm being watched by two dogs at the dinner table who haven't been fed yet," Peter griped, slicing into another batch of peaches. "Don't you two have homework to do or something?" He asked, knowing already that their classes were done with until August. Peter hadn't had a large kitchen to himself for a very long time, and having access to Allison's oven was something he wasn't going to take for granted. On top of making lasagna, he also planned to make his signature cobbler. Though, he wasn't going to tell the pack that the recipe wasn't as original as they all thought. It came from a cookbook that he had lost in the first fire. Oddly enough, it was one of the first things his memory had regained.

"Here, if you're going to continue eye-fucking my hands, at least help out. Watch how I slice them, then do the same," Peter instructed Boyd, passing him the bowl of whole peaches.

"Don't I get to help?" Erica asked.

"No," her boys responded, both recounting how her last excursion into baking ended in smoke, fire extinguishers, and tears. The tears were from Stiles wailing about how he was going to have to tell his dad that his betas were incompetent with an oven.

She huffed, and twirled a lock of hair between her fingers. She loved their time together like this, Boyd and Peter with her. She would watch them both, move around each other, around her. Something was happening between them, a synchronicity about their movements. Boyd felt it too. They were drawn to the older wolf, and if his habits were anything to go by, he was drawn to them.

Boyd looked up to see Erica staring at Peter. Lately, it wasn't an uncommon sight. She looked at him like he was a puzzle she desperately wanted to figure out, as if she had found a piece of her own puzzle, and didn't quite know where it would fit. Boyd had been asking himself the same question lately. He didn't mind sharing Erica with Peter, didn't mind that Erica spent some of her nights with him, or even her days. It didn't bug him to watch them lean towards each other more often than not. Nor did it bother him when they touched in his presence. Boyd was Erica's mate, and he knew that his place in her world couldn't be filled by anyone else. Peter obviously didn't mind sharing, and he hadn't done anything to suggest otherwise. Still, Boyd couldn't just ignore the comments of his packmates, nor the stories from before they had become wolves. He couldn't ignore how Lydia avoided Peter as if she were waiting for him to do something awful, or how Derek would tiptoe around his uncle. It made Boyd wary. Especially since he felt drawn to Peter's company even without Erica around. He just hoped they weren't getting into more than they could handle. The sound of Allison's car parking in the driveway snapped Boyd out of his musings.

Allison put her keys in her purse just as the smell of delicious food hit her. She followed her nose into the kitchen where an extremely domestic scene unfolded before her. Peter and Boyd were placing peaches into a rectangular ceramic dish while Erica watched them. Either they were so engrossed in what they were doing that they didn't hear her come in, or they didn't mind that she was there. She'd never seen Peter look so relaxed or Erica so wistful. She suddenly felt as though she was watching something she shouldn't be, something intimate that was just for them and turned to go up the stairs to her room. She really needed to get started on the bestiary work Stiles sent home with her anyway, being a voyeur wasn't on her to-do list.

"Alli! Come join us, the boys won't let me help," Erica called out to her. Spinning back around, she stepped into the kitchen, going over to where Erica sat on one of the bar stools they had.

"That's for the best, because I seem to remember a charred cookie incident," Allison pointed out, sitting next to the blonde. "Is that lasagna?" She asked, looking over to where two pans were cooling on the burners.

"I doubled the recipe so that there'd be leftovers. Cobbler's going in now," Peter said, picking up the dish and placing it in the oven. "What do you have there?" He pointed at the folder Allison had placed on the counter.

"Stiles wants the site to launch before Derek gets back, which means round the clock bestiary work. After Lydia translates the pages, I sift through them to either update them or toss out what we know as purely myth. Some of it is easily cross-referenced with other books, but sometimes it takes forever to verify a fact. These are the new pages Lydia got done. Danny found some type of software that translates, so all she has to do is scan it into the computer. She still goes through it and corrects it where it's mixed up a word or where there are two meanings," Allison answered, opening up the folder so they could see.

"I might have something that'll help speed that along," Peter told her before leaving the kitchen. Allison looked between Boyd and Erica but they both shrugged. He came back in after a moment, carrying a laptop. "Here, these are the files I've saved from our own bestiaries. Some of them are missing parts, but others are full chapters. There are pictures, videos, and suggestions on other books that would hold more information. You can go through it, I've programmed it like a search engine. There's some stuff I haven't gone through yet, but it'll be more of the same." He passed her the computer. She hesitated before taking it.

"Thanks." Allison smiled at Peter, filled with gratitude but not sure how to express it.

"Awwww, pack bonding moment," Erica crowed, grabbing Allison in a bear hug - wolf hug? – And, moment gone, Allison grinned.

"You're ridiculous," Boyd chuckled, winking at Allison.

"More like a small disaster," Peter added. Erica stuck her tongue out at him.

"Two boys are fun, except when they gang up on you," Erica said knowingly.

"I totally understand," Allison giggled, thinking of her two mates. Looking at their situations, Allison realized they weren't so different after all. It made her feel close to Erica. Pack bonding indeed, Allison thought, watching Boyd and Peter take turns picking on Erica.

*****

"No, no, no! They bob their head, then you bob yours, but only after they've initiated. You can't just bob yours without the invitation, that's a major faux pas," Lydia instructed Derek. She was sitting on the edge of her bath tub, still wet from the shower she just took.

"Can't we just shake hands or something? Does everything have to be steeped in tradition?" Derek groaned on the other end of the line.

"It's not tradition, its instinct, honestly Derek. You want to play nice and make werewolf friends? You have to play by the werewolf rules."

"Anything else I should know? Should I sacrifice some virgins while I'm at it?"

"I don't appreciate the sarcasm, alpha," she spat out the last part, "And if that were required I would have already arranged it for you." She put him on speaker phone so she could start moisturizing.

"That's...terrifying, but, uh, thanks?" Derek pinched the bridge of his nose as Chris looked over at him quizzically.

"Look, Stiles isn't the only one wanting to network, we need these allies. I'm tired of looking over my shoulder whenever I leave my house. Jackson is hesitant to let me do anything outside of my house without a wolf escort, and that's going to get real old, real fast. Good for pack bonding, but bad for my mental state. Do you think you can make it through a simple meeting without having to call me to bail you out? Or should I just call in the cavalry now?"

"I'll be fine, you've armed me with plenty of werewolf etiquette, and like you said, it's supposed to be instinctual."

"Uh huh, I'll keep my phone on me just in case," she told him, unconvinced.

"I'll keep that in mind, talk to you later," Derek said before hanging up.

Lydia plugged in her blow dryer, shaking her head to herself. It'd be a miracle if Derek and Mr. Argent made it out of the pack meeting without creating an inter-species fiasco.

*****

"Lydia," Jackson started, watching her make coffee with a speed and efficiency that worried him. She smelled freshly showered and if it wasn't for the ten foot wide aura she was putting out that clearly said 'don't mess with me', he'd have buried his face in her hair and suggested they take a nap. Instead he hovered near her as she waited for the drip, drip, drip, of liquid caffeine. 

"What?" She asked, turning sharp eyes on him. Her mom would be out of the house for the next week on business, and damn if she didn't take the good coffee with her.

"Are you, you know, alright?" He asked. Her forehead furrowed and she shifted her weight. He honed in his hearing to catch any abnormalities in her heart if she lied. 

"I'm fine. Are you alright? You still haven't asked Danny if he'd like to get to know your rear intimately. I thought you were going to get on that already?" 

Jackson was completely thrown off by her question, his mouth falling open to answer but nothing came out.

"Well, what about you, I thought you'd be all over Erica by now," he spouted, trying to regain control of the conversation. He had thought she'd say she was feeling tired, or maybe that she needed something. He wasn't at all prepared for her to start talking about how he had yet to wolf up and ask Danny out. On a date. A date with his best friend. He wasn't stalling, oh no, he was just, biding his time, waiting for the perfect moment. It wasn't stalling if he had a plan. In fact, it was probably better that he as taking his time, because Danny had been so busy lately with the website project Stiles had him working on. Yeah, it was totally better this way.

"As if I've had time to indulge in extra-relationship activities, what with houses burning down, Derek leaving, and I don't know, me being a walking firebomb," she shot back, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Maybe you should make time! A distraction is exactly what you need, you're too tense-"

"I'm too tense! I'm not the one who has been jumping at every shadow and unseen gust of air, threatening passers-by with snarls and flashing blue eyes!" 

"That's to keep you safe!" Jackson's voice rose, not sure how he ended up in a fight. This is why he didn't ask people if they were alright. 

"I know!" She yelled back, drumming her fingernails on the marble counter top. "I know," she added softer. 

"Didn't think we'd get this messed up from Derek-freaking-Hale leaving, did you?" He asked, uncrossing his arms and opening up the cabinet with her favorite mugs. She shook her head, curls tumbling over her shoulders. 

"I feel him, just like the rest of the pack, but we aren't particularly close with Derek. Not like the others..." Lydia paused as Jackson laughed. 

"Not close with him? He has you on speed dial. I'm pretty sure the only other person he has on speed dial is Stiles. He treats me like the baby of the group," he complained, handing her an abnormal sized mug. 

"You are the baby of the group," Lydia smirked, cherry red lips quirking into a smile at the corners. "You were bit last, that makes you the baby. Maybe we both need a distraction. Here, let's make a deal," she said, holding her hand out to him. "By the time Derek gets back, we are both going to sort out our extra-relationship relationships, deal?" She raised one perfectly sculpted eyebrow at him. 

"Are you sure you want to wait until Derek's back, and not after?" He raised his own eyebrow at her, challenging.

"What are you implying?" Her eyes narrowed.

"Just that I'm not as terrible with my nose as everyone likes to think. And that you're attracted to power. Think about it, you two would make a frightening power couple," Jackson commented, holding his hand right above hers. 

"I can conquer Derek later, it's the she-wolf I want to try. Do we have a deal? If you haven't let Danny plow you by the time Derek gets back, then, hmmm, what should you owe me...shopping trip? We never did make it to the new mall," she grinned. 

"Wait, wait, wait, who says that I'm the one who is going to get plowed?" Jackson asked.

"I figure that you'll both be switch hitters, but let's be honest, Danny has the experience under his belt," she shrugged. She noticed Jackson wasn't looking at her anymore. Were his ears turning pink? "Are you blushing?" She asked, giggling. 

Her laughter made his ears heat up even more. 

"No! It's just warm in here," Jackson growled. "And if you lose, what do I get? Control of our movie choices for at least a month," he bargained. She rolled her eyes.

"Deal," she agreed, catching his hand in hers. With a tug, he pulled her against him, delighting in her startled squeaks as he grabbed a handful of her ass and hauled her up so that he could wrap his arm around her. Her legs wrapped around his waist, and she blew a displaced strand of hair out of her face. 

"I know something that's also a great tension reliever," Jackson said, carrying her out of the kitchen and to her room. 

"Oh you do, do you?" She nuzzled into his neck, and let him take her to her bed. Her butt had barely hit the comforter before his mouth was on hers, tongue slipping inside. She grabbed the back of his head, pulled him in deeper, sucked on his bottom lip and used her other hand to caress the side of his neck he had unconsciously bared to her. He growled into her mouth, making heat pool in her groin. She smelled like lemon meringue pie, and Jackson wanted to take bites out of her, the sweet scent of her lust made his dick twitch in his pants. He knew that they were smearing her gloss red lipstick, and wondered how much of it would still be on her lips by the time they were done. Lydia felt the thud of his pulse beneath her fingertips, and wished that she could hear it, the tempo of beats that sped up for her. Her skin flushed hot, and the clothes she'd just put on felt too tight. Removing her hands from him, she quickly popped the buttons on her blouse, shrugging it off and over the side of the bed. A zip of her skirt, and she wiggled it off, her newly shaven legs slipping against each other. 

"Take this off," she said, tugging on his shirt. He stripped it off one handed, and she indulged in immediately putting her hands on him, feeling his muscles shift beneath his skin. Sliding down his abs, she gripped his belt, undoing it, and putting it through the loops. Wrapping it behind his neck she leaned backwards until she was lying down with him straddling her hips. His eyes glowed blue as he held his neck up, arched slightly so she could fit the belt around his neck, threading it through the buckle and securing it on a notch that wasn't too tight. Giving an experimental tug, Lydia was pleased when he moved in the direction she wanted. Jackson felt the belt warm against his throat, and it sent pleasure straight to his already hard erection.

Power between them was a game, something to be harnessed together, or used against one another. They both fought for it in their early years, trying to out-best the other, never complacent with second place. Each wanted the upper hand, to have all the tricks up their sleeve, to know the outcome before it happened. It took months of competing, and even years after to realize that power could be given between them without losing it altogether. Too much baggage had led them to believe that if they weren't in control, then nothing in their lives was. But, here, behind closed doors where no one else could see, where they had nothing left to hide, and all vulnerabilities had already been shown, power could be a pleasure shared.

This wasn't the first time Jackson had a belt used as a collar and leash on him. Nor was he alone in the sensation, as Lydia had had her fair share of thin fashionable belts around her neck. Lydia knew exactly how it felt to have the belt scrape and chafe if it was new leather and how a hard enough grip could leave patterned imprints in the skin. She gripped the end of the belt confidently, wrapping it around her wrist so it wasn't so long. 

"Take your pants off, boxers too," she ordered, fixing herself so that she reclined against new pillows. And she wondered why they kept getting destroyed, Jackson mused, complying. "Now, take my panties and bra off."

Jackson knew the part of this game very well. He wasn't allowed to fondle, or touch anything without her say so. He undid her bra first, leaning over her, his warm breath teasing at her shoulder. Goosebumps rippled down her skin. Lifting her hips, her breath caught as his hands tugged her lace panties down, his fingertips just barely gliding down her thighs. She arched so prettily beneath him, it took all of Jackson's will power not to just crawl up into the space between her thighs and enter her. A quick tug on the belt and he felt his wolf snap back to attention, back to her, and the hold she had on him. A smile bloomed across her lips, dark and not nice, her eyes opening just a tad too wide in faked innocence. 

"Getting too caught up in your head, don't you want to be a good boy for me?" She purred, the lipstick she wore now a parody of what it once was, staining her lips a crimson shade, highlighting lips swollen from rough kissing. She liked to do this when he was leashed, call him a good boy, or a pretty pup, any nickname that would normally set his jaw in a tic. Names that he'd deny to anyone but her. She doled them out like praise, and if said in that sex roughened voice of hers, they'd make him cum on the spot if it'd please her. 

Lydia spread her legs so that Jackson got just the perfect view, kneeling between them, hands on his thighs. She started at her neck, fanning fingers out to stroke down to her collarbone where she traced the line of it. She watched him squirm ever so slightly as she cupped her left breast. She liked the weight of it in her hand. A sigh escaped her as she dragged a nail across her nipple. She had his full attention, and it caused a small shiver to run down her spine. She gripped the leash tighter, pulling him until his lips were barely touching hers. 

"Lay down will you pet," she pulled him, pressing him down so that she was straddling him, his back arched to ease the tension in his neck. Once she was settled, she continued on the path she left, the flat of her hand smoothing down her stomach and detouring to the outline of her hips. She followed the swell and then made her way to the damp curls at the apex of her legs. She felt how wet she was, one of her fingers dipping into her folds. Jackson shuddered beneath her as if it had been him she was touching, the faintest of whines straining out of him. That sound under different circumstances would put her on alert, would make her want to fix whatever was making that noise, would make her feel like she had to protect. Here, between the two of them, it made her want to hear it more, to see how much whining he'd give her. She loved it when he begged.

"Here, baby, taste," she offered her wet fingers to him, watched as his tongue darted out to wrap around them. He moaned as she pushed them in his mouth, hips jerking and eyes closing. God, but he could get lost in her.

Lydia could feel the soft suction on her fingers zap pleasure to her nipples and her clit. Suddenly impatient, she moved back so that she hovered over him, holding his cock in her hand and sliding a thumb across the tip, smearing pre-come. A tremble started in his thigh, and made its way into his whines, high-pitched and shaky. 

"Put your hands behind your head," she told him, waiting until he did, to start to inch her way down onto him. She bit her lip, making her own moan. This was her favorite part, that initial entry, how he felt full inside her. His chest flushed a delightful pink, inviting her to add angry stripes of scarlet. Placing her hand over his heart, she took a moment to feel his racing pulse before curling her fingers into claws and raking down. Her lines disappeared seconds after she made them, but the twitch in his hips, and the groans he hissed made up for it. 

"You can cum when I say so, and not before," she instructed. She started to move with small snaps of her hips, and grinned when he grit his teeth. She yanked on her end of the belt, making him lean back on his elbows and that little change in angle was everything. With better leverage she was able to thrust onto him like she wanted, her hips undulating and breasts swaying. She was making small sounds of her own, hitched breaths and moans that made fangs fill his mouth. Her mouth was parted and Jackson could imagine all the things he'd liked to do to her plump lips next time they played like this. She must've noticed his drift in thought because her nails slid down his abs, the spark of pain welcome as it gave him something else to focus on rather than the delicious warmth of her cunt. 

"You're so pretty like this for me, such a pretty pup," she moaned, rolling her hips, and snaking a hand down so that she could circle her clit. He believes it when she says it, that he's pretty, that he's good enough, not just for her, but good enough for himself too. He could see the covetous glances before he was turned and now that he could hear and smell everything, he knew without a doubt that people found him attractive, but he never believed them. Never believed that he was enough, not until Lydia had cuffed him to the bed that one time and told him. He had struggled against the cuffs, not sure that he could do it, let someone else take control, and the welling insecurity made him want to tell her their safe word and give up. Open, and with every vulnerability laid bare, she murmured in his ear how lovely he was, and it gave him the courage to want to try with her, to really try and give in. So, he didn't mind now, when she called him pretty, because he knew that she wasn't just talking about his looks. 

Lydia panted out little huffs as she moved faster, her back arching as she found the perfect spot. Her pelvic muscles clenched, making him groan, the cords in his neck standing out. Oh God, she was close, her fingers moved faster and her hips started to lose rhythm. A quick wrench of the belt, and his startled whine was enough to have her orgasm caress down her spine, toes curled as bursts of pleasure filled her.

"Cum for me baby, you've been so good, so good," she licked her lips, one hand holding the belt taut and the other now braced on his shoulder so she could grind down harder as if her words weren't enough. She wrung his orgasm from him, as his eyes fluttered shut and his mouth opened to gulp the air. The sight was too much and she leaned forward to thrust her tongue inside, tasting his muffled moans.

When their panting had subsided a little, and he had slipped out of her, she undid the buckle on the belt, careful not to snag his skin.

"Not even any marks to show for it," she said regrettably, petting his neck. He grabbed her and laid them down, ignoring her protesting growl. He knew she didn't like getting cum on the comforter, but that's what washing machines were for. She settled into him, mouth pressed to skin that still tingled from the absence of the belt. 

"Do you feel relieved?" He asked even though he could feel how boneless she was in his arms. 

"Do you?" She countered, sliding an arm under his so that she could hold him to her. 

"I feel so good, I could probably just sleep for the next few hours," he answered. 

"That sounds wonderful, but we can't, we told Stiles we'd be over at his house by seven," she reminded him. 

"He's over-mothering us," Jackson complained, jolting a little when her fingers found the ticklish spot beneath his shoulder blades. 

"You two have more in common than you think," she rolled her eyes. She started to get up but his iron grip kept her in place.

"Five more minutes," he said, curling a hand in her hair. She sighed.

"Okay, but only five," she reiterated, the hair on the back of her neck standing up as he carded his fingers through the glossy strands.

Two hours, fifteen text messages, and seven angry phone calls later they woke up.

***** 

"Dude, how did we end up like this?" Scott asked, wrinkling his nose in that adorable way that Isaac loved. They had been in his bed making out for the better part of two hours. It wasn't that Scott was complaining, but he couldn't remember them taking their shirts off. Or how they got to his room. Or the bed. Did it happen between the third Die Hard movie and second Transformers? He supposed it didn't matter either way. The wolf in question avoided answering him by nipping at his chin. Scott felt his wolf surge to the forefront, ready to give in to Isaac's begging. He tried to tamper it down but it was difficult as Isaac continued to nip and lick at his jaw. "No fair," he growled, voice all wolf. He rolled onto Isaac, grabbing the golden wolf's wrists and pressing him down into the mattress. He ended up straddling Isaac, who laid plaint beneath him. A phone buzzing interrupted all of the pleasant positions Scott had racing through his mind. 

"Yours," Isaac said, handing Scott his phone off of his nightstand. 

"Scott, are you going to be at Stiles' house tonight?" His mom asked. Isaac bucked up a little, his grin going mischievous, reminding Scott of when Isaac had first been turned. He cleared his throat before he answered.

"Yeah, you're working later right?" 

"I am, just wanted to know where you were going to be. I'm out with John on my break but then it's right back to the grind."

Isaac couldn't help himself; Scott was too fun to tease. He ran a clawed hand up Scott's thigh, skirting across the zipper of his jeans. Scott swallowed loudly, ineffectively batting away Isaac's hands. 

"Oh, okay, I have to go mom, so I'll check in later okay?" Scott rushed out, his voice pitched higher than normal.

"Uh huh. Well, alright then, tell Isaac I say hi, talk to you later," she said before hanging up. Scott hid his face in his hands as Isaac laughed brightly. 

"She's getting eerily good at that," Isaac pointed out, suppressing a snort at Scott's horrified face. "What? It's not like she doesn't know you're having sex." 

"I know, I know, it's still weird though. It'd be like me walking in on her and the Sheriff, oh God, I need brain bleach," Scott bemoaned his rampant imagination. His phone buzzed in his hand. "What now?" He answered shortly. 

"Grumpy much? What's the matter McCall, did another rabbit give you indigestion again?" Danny asked. 

"Don't even mention that, just thinking about rabbits makes my stomach upset," Scott complained, as Isaac tried to smother his laugh. Sometimes his packmates had the perfect timing. Sitting up so that Scott sat in his lap, Isaac leaned towards Scott's shoulder, mouthing along the ridge of muscle. 

"Yeah well, at least you didn't have to help Stiles clean out rabbit chunks from the toilet and bathtub. I was wondering if you could come get me and give me a ride to Stiles' house?"

"Mhm, that'd be fine," Scott grit out, his jaw twitching as Isaac's tongue licked a line down his neck.

"Cool, so I'll see you in a bit then."

"Yu-u-up," Scott accidentally elongated the word as Isaac's teeth joined the mix. 

"Right, I guess I'll be seeing you, and Isaac, in a bit," Danny laughed and then hung up. 

"I'm so going to get you back," Scott play snarled. He tried to toss Isaac onto the bed, but the golden wolf had other ideas, and the two ended up tussling onto the floor. Smiling, Isaac stood up first, offering his hand out.

"Come on, we'll be late if we don't leave now, and I don't want to worry Stiles," Isaac said. Scott took his hand and was hauled to his feet. 

"You two are okay now, right?" Scott asked, putting on a shirt and then scrunching up his face. Taking it off, he passed it to Isaac who snorted. 

"Yeah. He's good about that stuff you know...dealing with baggage," Isaac replied. 

"I do know, both from experience and watching him wade into the ocean of baggage that comes with dating Derek." Scott shook his head in sympathy. 

"True, I guess if Stiles can handle Derek, everyone else is easy," Isaac chuckled, then went thoughtful. "Well, except maybe Peter. Someone with an even greater fortitude than him is needed to scale that mountain I think." 

"That's the truth if I ever heard it," Scott said, following Isaac out of his room and shutting the light behind him.

*****

"I think I missed a few chapters in the parenting book. I don't remember reading anything on how to deal with supernatural teenagers," Melissa said, making the Sheriff laugh. 

"Chapters? I need entire volumes just to deal with Stiles alone, and that was before he ended up mothering a bunch of orphan werewolves." The Sheriff ate another french fry, and was glad that Stiles couldn't see him. 

"Only Stiles could find a way to mother an entire pack of werewolves. He doesn't do a bad job though, Scott's grades went up in the last quarter."

"Don't remind me, because I know how he got him to do his homework, and let me tell you, it was not a pretty sight." The Sheriff had tried valiantly to erase that memory from his mind.

"Oh, I already know. Stiles helpfully copied chapters out of the newer volumes of werewolf behavior he got from Allison, and left them strategically around my house. I read a chapter on scent-marking on a lunch break last week because he had fit it into my work bag. Although, I do have to say that it was helpful for explaining why every week there is a piece of clothing from each of his packmates in my wash." 

"So, they do weird things to your laundry too, huh? Some of the chapters are helpful, but I have yet to come across one that's titled, 'What to expect now that your son is mates with an alpha werewolf and a beta'. That'd be really handy." 

"Right now, I'd like one called, 'How to cope with the absence of the alpha', with special chapters devoted to sleep deprivation and general weirdness. For the few brief moments that Scott is in my house, he keeps wandering into all the rooms, as if he doesn't even realize he's doing it," Melissa said a bit frazzled.

"They have been strange, and that's scary considering what they are. I found Isaac and Lydia in the bathtub this morning. I don't think they slept at all that first night Derek was gone," the Sheriff said concerned. 

"I just wish there was more that I could do for them," Melissa sighed, twirling the straw in her drink.

"They need to find their footing again. Once they do that, it'll be easier I think. It's a shame they've been in such an upheaval over hunters and now Derek being gone. Things were just getting calm," the Sheriff sighed, and then picked up another fry. 

*****

Derek's phone vibrated on his chest, his screen showing a picture of Stiles in his red sweater. Chris was asleep in the other bed, a light snore coming from him. Anticipating his loud snoring, Chris had gotten strips for his nose, and though Derek had been skeptical of their use, they had been working pretty well. 

"Hello?" He whispered.

"Hey, I figured you'd be up," Stiles' voice came in soft, as if he realized that whispering near the pack was futile. "I wanted to see how the, ow, okay my hand is still attached to my arm, ow what-"

"Derek! Did you meet the other pack? Were they nice?" Erica's voice came in loud. He opened his mouth to answer but stopped as snarling started on the other end. A deep growling which sounded like Isaac, but couldn't be Isaac because he'd never heard his mate sound like that, followed by a yip which was Erica came through.

"Hi," Isaac greeted, sounding almost shy and completely at odds with the growls Derek had heard.

"Hi, pup. How are you?" Derek asked, closing his eyes. 

"Better hearing you," Isaac confessed. "Did you want me to hand you back to Stiles?" 

"In a minute. First, tell me what you did today." Derek needed to hear that Isaac was okay, that he was being looked after. 

"I didn't do anything really, just hung out with Scott and Allison. I know you felt me last night, but I'm okay for right now. You don't have to worry about me," Isaac told him. 

"It's okay to let others take care of you, you know. I know you've been taking care of yourself for longer than you should have had to, but it doesn't have to be that way anymore," Derek tried to soothe his mate with words that Stiles had told him once. 

"I know. It's just difficult," Isaac said, growling a warning at Erica who was inching closer. 

"I know. Pass me back to Stiles before Erica tries to eat your face." 

"She could try," Isaac rumbled, handing the phone back to Stiles.

"Look, at what happens, you're gone for not even four days and it's complete anarchy! Now, back to what I was trying to ask, how was, no, no, bad wolf, no, hey what did I just say, don't make me get the newspaper roll, I'll do it, I swear to God I will, and aw no, come on man, I thought you were better than the puppy eyes. Ugh, fine," Stiles conceded. 

"Uh, hey," Jackson's voice filtered through. 

"Hey," Derek answered back, smiling at the hesitance he heard.

"So, Stiles has been a mess since you've been gone," he told Derek. A squawk of protest that must've been Stiles could be heard over the scratchy reception.

"Has he?" Derek asked in an amused tone.

"Oh yeah, just like a complete sobbing wreck, he hardly leaves the bed, and has been eating ice cream nonstop," Jackson said, ignoring Stiles' loud disagreement.

"I figured he'd lose it," Derek added, going along with Jackson's joke. 

"It's sad really. Anyway, I'll give you back to him before that roll of newspaper becomes a reality."

"That's probably for the best. It was good to hear that you're at least composed," Derek grinned. 

"Yup. Real composed," the beta huffed. A pause happened, the phone switching hands Derek guessed.

"I am not sobbing into ice cream!" Stiles argued. "Your pups are liars! I may not be at my best but I'm definitely not a wreck. The audacity, really, Derek, you might come home to find our pack minus a few members if they're going to be this obnox...are you serious, ouch, stop that you harpy-"

"Harpy! Take that back and-"

"My arm doesn't bend that way, you blonde brat!"

"Thank you, Boyd, wait, no, hey, you're supposed to be on my-"

"Lydia help pin his arms, Derek's on the ph-"

"Can I get some reinforcements over here!"

Derek waited as he listened to what sounded like a full on tug-o-war with the phone. He was going to be surprised if the phone made it out in one piece. Snarls, growls, yelps, yips, the occasional curse word and shuffle noise, which must have been the phone dragging across the bed, made him smile. It sounded like home.

"Hello?" Danny's voice went through.

"They're in a giant pile aren't they?" Derek asked, the noise in the background continued.

"Yep. I literally left them alone for five minutes to get some more coffee, and come back, and this is happening. They haven't even noticed me yet they are so engrossed in what looks like shameless beating of each other." Danny stared in disbelief as one of the wolves had shredded a pillow and the stuffing was being used to smother Erica while Lydia had Stiles in some kind of headlock. Danny couldn't tell whether his face was red due to lack of air or because Lydia had her breasts pressed against his back. Somewhere in that pile, was Scott, if the whimpering was anything to go by. Peter was helping Allison look for him, it seemed to Danny, but he couldn't be sure. Danny got his phone out of his back pocket, and started snapping pictures. "I am taking pictures now and I'll upload them in an email so you can see them tomorrow. Just don't show them to the pack we're trying to make allies with. They might think we've been using that wolfsbane that gets you high."

Derek did laugh at that, smothering the sound behind his hand so that Chris wouldn't wake up. 

"You've been okay?" Derek asked.

"A little jittery, if I'm being honest. Can't tell if that's the pack effect, or just because you know, killer hunters. I'm not too bad though. Other than the not sleeping. And the weird wandering in my house. And the fidgeting. So, okay, I've been better, but it's not terrible," Danny replied. 

"Sorry," Derek apologized, wishing it was easier.

"Don't be. I'm not half as bad as the rest of them, not yet at least. And...uh oh, they've noticed me, wow that's eerie, and, ow shit, really Scott, I thought that I was done getting bruises from your tackles-"

Scuffling and some painful electronic whines made Derek wince. 

"Hey babe," Stiles said, once again in possession of his own phone. The pet name curled around Derek, settling in his chest. 

"Hey Red," Derek answered, turning on his side with the phone under his ear. 

"God, I miss your stupid face," Stiles sighed. 

"I miss your babble after you've had your third cup of coffee."

"I miss how your ass feels under my hands," Stiles said. In the background he could hear their pups groaning at him to get a room. 

"I think Allison has pictures of my ass in jeans. I can't prove it, but I know she has them."

"Damn, you're right I didn't even think of that."

"Mhm. It's too bad I don't sleep nude at your house or you'd have a full frontal by now."

"Just another reason to build our own place away from my father's eyes."

"And his guns."

"Ha, those too. I think we should put a hot tub in the bedroom I'm just saying."

"We're not putting a hot tub in our bedroom."

"What, come on, it'd be nice in cozy."

"Mhm, not going to happen."

"Okay but-"

Derek settled into the bed, adding his two cents whenever Stiles brought up a particularly atrocious addition to the house he wanted. Sometime after the indoor sex swing, the alpha fell asleep, and with him, the pack followed suit.


	10. Moving Forward

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The pack tries to regroup from Derek's absence, but it's tough going.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh goodness, the next part is done woot! Let's see in this chapter we have some pack bonding moments, some mentions of collar play, and general fluffiness. Thank you for being so patient, and for reading this silly fic :)
> 
> My amazing beta: StefanyD

"Are we really doing this?" Scott asked, staring at the rack in front of them.

"I don't know, it sounded better when we were just tossing ideas out, now that we're actually here though..." Stiles trailed off, looking around the aisle to see if anyone was paying attention to them. 

"He was just looking at them, it doesn't mean anything," Allison pointed out, her hands moving of their volition as she picked up a thin black collar. It felt soft between her fingers. 

"That expression on his face though," Stiles said, reaching for the collar. He gave it a hard look before he started to wrap it around his neck.

"What are you doing?" Scott asked in his panicked squeaky voice. He didn't remember trying on the collars in aisle twelve as being part of this plan. 

"Being curious," Stiles answered, fixing it so the buckle part was on the back of his neck. "So, what do we think, too weird?" 

Allison felt her cheeks heat up and wished that she wasn't so pale. She opened her mouth but then clapped a hand over it. It was probably better if she didn't tell Stiles how not weird it looked. She turned around, pretending to keep lookout. Even covering her eyes with her hand she couldn't block out her imagination. God, this was a terrible idea, why did she agree to do this with them? She needed to just, calm down, and breath slow even breaths so that Scott wouldn't notice the serious uptick in her heart rate. Hopefully her scented lotion was strong enough to block out all other scents that may or may not be coming off of her. 

"I'm not sure it's your color," Scott replied, trying to be objective. "Alli, what do you think?" She turned around and he could practically taste her embarrassment. She had her fingers opened over her eyes so that she could half see, and her face resembled Stiles' infamous sweater, the flush creeping down her neck. 

"Uh, wow, that good huh?" Stiles asked, not making it any easier for her. 

"I think, er, that Scott is right. The color is too harsh," Allison blurted.

"That one will match your sweater," Scott said, pointing to another slightly thicker one that had a tiny bell on it. 

"And I thought those Red Riding Hood jokes were beneath you," Stiles grinned, changing one collar for the other. 

Scott smelled Allison's interest, the citric burst of her want overriding the lavender tones of her lotion. He understood that part of that interest was in Stiles and part in the collar. It should've made him jealous. He kept waiting for that moment to sink in, to feel the growl burble up in his throat and eyes to flash. Instead, all he felt was...affection. And a little bit of amusement over her embarrassment. The three of them here like this made him nostalgic for the days when it was just them running around trying to solve things. Scott wasn't as oblivious as everyone liked to make him out. He could see, and smell, and infer that Allison more than likely had a crush on Stiles. He couldn't blame her, Stiles was awesome as far as he was concerned. He'd thought Stiles was awesome since they had been in grade school and Stiles had been the only one to not make fun of his inhalers. And it wasn't like they didn't share a mate already. Besides, it's not like Allison and Stiles were mates, at least not yet. What was the harm in letting them date? Making up his mind, Scott pulled a delicate collar off of the rack and held it out to Allison.

"This would match most of your wardrobe, see, purple," Scott offered.

"Yeah, you got to see me in one, it's only fair," Stiles added, flicking the bell on his so it tinkled.

Allison wondered if it was possible to get a full body blush, one that reached all the way to her toes. She took the collar from Scott, and took a deep breath, steading herself before wrapping it around her neck. Pointedly not looking at either of her packmates, she fastened it, and tilted her head to show it off. When she was met with silence, she tentatively looked up. Scott had his deer-in-headlights face on while Stiles stared open mouthed and pink-eared. Feeling a little more confident, she grabbed a leash and clipped it to the silver ring attached to the middle.

"I guess the real question is, who gets to hold the leash?" She asked, putting more bravado behind her words than she felt. Watching them scrabble for the answer made her embarrassment ebb away a little. 

"Ummm, maybe we should just get a bunch, for like research, you know," Stiles babbled, grabbing a handful of collars and leashes.

"Uh yeah, for research," Scott echoed, helping Allison out of the one she wore. 

"Come on, let's get out of here before we bump into someone we know," Allison suggested, threading her arms through Stiles' and Scott's arms. She counted it as a win when they both leaned into her. 

*****

"Are you sure?" Chris asked, ice blue eyes searching Derek's face. The motel room smelled of blood and old cigarettes. Derek couldn't decide which was worse. 

"Yeah, I'm sure. These are too shallow," Derek said, looking at the five slashes across Chris' arm. "It'll scar though," he mentioned. 

"My first if you can believe it," Chris sighed, rummaging in his duffel bag. "I've never seen a werewolf behave like that, attacking as though it didn't care if it was injured. Especially not an alpha." 

"They had a magic-user in their group. I could smell it on her, whatever spell she used got into that alpha and twisted him. He didn't even smell like a wolf anymore," Derek commented, watching as Chris sorted through glass bottles filled with powders. 

"Hunters using werewolves to fight hunters, how did it get to this? It didn't look like any wolf I'd seen either. Did you see the arms, it was twisted, it looked more like a gargoyle than any type of mammal," Chris paused as he found the right bottle and then turned to Derek. "Will this bother you?" 

"Not unless you plan on throwing it on me," Derek glared, twitching his nose at the mildly unpleasant smell of mountain ash. 

"I've entertained the idea once or twice," Chris grinned as the furrow between Derek's eyes deepened. "As if you didn't already know that. Besides, there's no point in lying, and you don't need the coddling." 

Derek huffed but didn't say anything else, sitting on the chair across from the hunter. He'd been lucky this time around. Their tangle with a more elite form of hunters hadn't caused him any injury above bruising. With two packs backing them up and more hunters than Derek had ever been around, their cause had gained more help than he'd thought would come. He just hoped that when they got into bigger fights armed with deadlier hunters, Stiles and Isaac wouldn't feel his pain. 

"You're thinking of those boys again," Chris guessed, giving Derek a pointed look.

"Is my face giving it away?"

"No. Your face eerily stays the same for almost all of your emotions. Your eyes however, get brighter, like you're lost in a daydream even though you're scowling." 

Derek shrugged and scratched at his nose. 

"What's it like having two mates?" Chris asked, as he struggled to tie the bandage he'd wrapped around his bicep. 

"Same as having one, just with two," Derek responded, straightening his posture. Chris could see the alpha getting defensive. 

"Allison doesn't talk to me much. I guess it's my own fault. At first she hadn't wanted to tell me too much, worried that I might use something she had said against your pack. Then she wouldn't talk to me because I didn't want to hear it. I didn't want to know that she was getting closer with your pack, that she counted them as her family. That she counts you as her family. And maybe I'm not ready yet, to hear everything, but I want to at least try. So, please, I know it's an intrusive question, but my daughter calls two of your betas her mates. And I believe you share Isaac between you two. I have no one else to ask," Chris told him, finally getting the knot tied correctly. 

"I was telling the truth in part. Having two mates is like having one. Only difference is now instead of being able to feel one, I feel two," Derek replied, unsure as to what Chris really wanted to ask, or what answers he was looking for. 

"Maybe I'm asking the wrong question. I just want to know-"

"If she could walk away. That's what you want to ask. You still think she's going to chose another life later on."

Chris' eyes hardened, taking on the now familiar glint that told Derek the hunter had already decided on something.

"Yes. I want to know if she could walk away." 

Derek reached out for his mates, just for a moment. It took a little concentration, the longer distance making it more difficult to sense them. Glad for his alpha power, he felt them wash over him, feeling them anchor him where once anger held him to the ground. Holding Chris' gaze, he chose his words carefully.

"Allison could walk away if she wanted. However, if I were you, I'd prepare for the reality that she won't." 

"I thought you'd say that. I had a hard enough time with Scott, but now with Isaac..." Chris grit his teeth. 

"Now with Isaac what?" Derek felt his tone go lower.

"One werewolf boyfriend was bad enough is all I'm saying. I don't know Isaac well enough to pass judgements-"

"Only judgements about his species," Derek growled. Chris glowered but didn't say anything else.

*****

"I've never done this before," Erica said, rubbing her hands together. "I'm not sure I'm ready."

"You'll be fine, we'll just take it slow," Boyd reassured, taking one of her hands in his.

"But what if I slip?" She side-eyed him, her mouth dangerously close to forming a pout.

"Oh, you'll slip, I can almost guarantee that, but it won't be so bad. Nothing a big bad wolf like yourself can't handle." He smiled at her as she elbowed him. 

"Okay, fine, but don't let me go, if I fall, I'm dragging you down with me," she warned, her hand griping his. She held a breath as Boyd lead her onto the ice. When he had blindfolded her and walked her to his workplace on a day that it was closed, she had thought it was going to end in sex. Instead, he wanted her to ice skate with him. Boyd was good at surprising her. She put her foot down, fully expecting to fall on her face and end up clawing his leg on the way down, and held in her breath as he tugged her lightly so she slid across the ice. She caught him smirking at her and let go of her breath, slowly standing up straight and putting one foot in front of the other. 

Erica wasn't going to let something as benign as ice skating cause her to lose confidence in herself. She wasn't afraid of falling, having done so for most of her life, and truth be told, getting thrown onto dirt by her packmates during training games probably hurt more than the ice would. Still, she liked knowing that Boyd would be there with her just in case. Ice skating had been an off limits activity before she became a werewolf. 

"It's not terrible," she told Boyd, wobbling just a little as they rounded into a turn. She moved with him, following how his body flowed, and she wondered if that was part of being pack, or whether it was just because they were mates. After a little bit, she let go of him, steadying herself before going faster. She wanted to feel the air in her hair, and she laughed when she didn't run into anything on a particularly fast turn. "Boyd, did you see? I didn't crash," she said excitedly, skating into him and wrapping her arms around his back. He didn't falter as her forward motion propelled them across the ice. 

"I saw," he grinned, skating backwards with her. 

"Showoff," she said narrowing her eyes. "Teach me how to skate backwards," she demanded, smiling up at him.

*****

"Are you saying that a hunter was able to control an alpha?" Lydia asked, cradling the phone between her ear and shoulder so she could flip a page in her notebook. She sat in the back corner booth of the pack's favorite coffee shop with an extra large cup of jasmine tea. More energized than she'd felt in days, and finally rid of her protective tail, she had decided some self pampering was in order. After a long luxurious bath in which she may or may not have touched herself while thinking about a certain she-wolf, she dressed and left her house with a smile bringing up the edges of her lips. Now with Derek updating her on the latest news, her good mood was dampening, the figures already adding up in her head of how this development would affect the pack. 

"That's what it appeared to look like. The hunter smelled foul and the alpha, you should have seen it, it wasn't in control of its' body. It had no clue what was happening to him, and its' body was twisted. One of the hunters on our side is an artist and they're trying to do a sketch so I'll be emailing you a picture of it later today. Its' eyes, Lydia, it was just gone," Derek told her. 

"What did Stiles say when you told him? We have a ton of bestiary information on the computer now, so it's easy to do a quick search. Although we were having trouble deciding which side the search bar should be on," Lydia grumbled thinking back to their squabble. She took a sip of tea when it seemed like Derek was taking time to think up a suitable lie. "You didn't tell him," she stated, waving a waitress over to order more tea. 

"I don't want him to worry," Derek sighed.

"You don't get to decide that for him. Besides, Stiles worries like he breathes air, so there's not much that's going to change at this point. Also, it's short-sighted not to let the magic-user in our group be updated on magic-user related conversations. Imagine what we could have done with an already trained Stiles when Peter was raging about as alpha?" 

"I don't want him using whatever it was that made it possible for that hunter to control that wolf. It smelled like rot. Like he was rotting away from the inside but his body hadn't caught up. I don't want Stiles to have to pay the price for that kind of power," Derek said, stifling a sneeze that tickled the back of his throat. 

"Alright, I get it, I don't want Stiles using that type of stuff either, but for record keeping purposes, it'd be interesting to see what something like that would entail. Not to mention, we could try to work out a way to reverse it in case you come against it again. I'm going to need exactly what it smelled like, looked like, and if we could get the name of the hunter who used it, maybe we could trace through their family. See if we could get a hold of a bestiary." 

Lydia felt the hairs on her arms stand up, and a shiver run down her spine. Staring hard at the door, she wasn't at all surprised to see Peter walk into the cafe. 

"Okay, I'll see what I can do. I have to go, I'll call later." 

Lydia frowned at Peter as he sat down across from her, putting his laptop on the table. 

"I was having such a good day, but now it seems as though the universe has decided that five hours of complacency is five hours too many," Lydia smiled, sickly sweet and with anger lighting up her eyes. 

"I didn't come here to antagonize you, Stiles wanted me to show you the site updates," Peter opened his computer to show her. At the mention of work, her demeanor changed, perking up in interest of information. 

"Why would Stiles ask you and not Danny?" Lydia asked, slapping his hand away when he tried to reach for her tea. 

"You didn't answer your texts, screening them I'm guessing, and he figured I'd have a better chance at finding you than anyone else," Peter shrugged, bringing up their website for her inspection. 

"And why would he think that?" She glared. 

"Lucky guess? I didn't stop to ask him," Peter replied, breathing deeply to try to keep his tone from setting her off. He could practically see the flames dancing in her eyes, and had no doubt that if given the chance she'd make those flames a reality. He didn't fancy getting set on fire a third time around, there was no need to make a habit out of it.

"This is better than yesterday. I still think we need some type of drop down menu, the top categories are getting crowded. Hmmm, that color is going to have to change, I don't care what Stiles says, turquoise is not pleasant on the eyes for reading large paragraphs. Danny said the passwords to get onto pack-specific pages are going on tomorrow...what?" She asked after looking up to see Peter idly staring at her. 

"Nothing, I should go," Peter said abruptly, getting up and leaving out the back door. Lydia went over their conversation in her head, trying to see if she had said something particularly mean, but couldn't find anything. Strange, she was usually the one to stomp off in a fit. With her nerves frazzled, and Derek's phone call still buzzing in her mind, Lydia waved the waitress over to see if she could get a to-go cup. She was going to need retail therapy to salvage the day.

*****

"Yes, I've been locking all my doors," Allison repeated, rolling her eyes and nodding a greeting at Peter who had just walked in her front door. 

"What was that?" Chris asked, hearing the door close. 

"One of my packmates is over, it's no big deal, they're just checking up on me," she lied, and watched Peter give her an odd look. She pointed to her phone and shrugged. He held up his lap top and pointed to her. Figuring out that he wanted to work on more bestiary pages, she nodded.

"Which one of your packmates?" 

"It's Peter with more bestiary work, Stiles has us all working on it," she added, hoping her dad would be distracted by talk of Stiles.

"That Hale is in the house?!" Chris yelled into the phone so loudly the screech of it made Peter wince. Outside the motel room Chris was in, Derek had just been about to open the door but upon hearing his last name being bellowed, he thought better of going in and turned around. Maybe one of the other wolves would let him bunk with them, he thought as he heard the hunter's scolding clear from two flights down.

"Yes, dad, that Hale is in the house. We've been working on the site, and he's been letting us look at the information from past generations of Hales. Dad, there is so much information."

"Allison, I," Chris stopped himself, knowing that if he told her that Peter couldn't be in the house, that she would only encourage him to be around more. "Take care of yourself, I don't want you to start thinking of Peter as someone you can trust," he settled for. 

"I know, I won't, and I've got it covered, I'll talk to you later," she told him, hanging up after he said his goodbye. Allison felt guilty about being so short with her dad, but at the same time she didn't want to get into a big argument with him over things he couldn't change. 

"That wasn't a lie you know, when you told hunter senior that you don't trust me," Peter said, following her into the kitchen. 

"I know," she stated, sitting on one of the barstools and waiting for Peter to set up the site on his computer.

"You're letting me stay here but you don't trust me?"

"Do you want me to trust you?" She quirked her head to side, a habit she must have picked up from the wolves. Peter busied himself with putting a kettle of water on the stove. Did he want the hunter to trust him? 

"I'm going to take your nonverbal answer as yes, you do care. I'm touched, here I was wondering if you just accepted my house invitation as a means to kill me when you think I'm least expecting it," Allison mused. She had her back turned to him as she moved things around in the refrigerator so that she could get to the leftover cobbler. Peter tried hard not to think of how easily it would be to sink claws into that back, or of how trusting she was to be able to turn away from him. "Wow, you really hate caring don't you? Is that a family trait or something, because Derek gets the same look on his face."

Peter thought about telling her how weird it was, to have a pack again, to feel them taking up space inside his head, to feel their distress and want to reach out to them. Especially now that Derek was gone, his packmates had started turning to him more, including him in their conversations and expecting him to answer their questions. He spent a great deal of time trying not to show how startled he was that they were talking to him, that they sought him out. He turned from her, deciding instead that he wasn't sure he ever wanted to have that conversation and that he really wanted to know what was that hint of shiny that kept catching his eye in the plastic bag on the counter.

Allison closed her eyes for a brief second, just to savor the fullness of the cobble, and when she opened them Peter was holding a handful of collars. Collars that she had meant to put away but forgot.

"Are you planning on getting a shit ton of dogs?" Peter asked. He could smell her embarrassment before it reached her face, and looked down at the collars, all roughly around the same size. Oh. It was very rare that Peter felt awkward, now however, was one of those times. He cleared his throat as the hunter shrunk down in the stool, her wide eyes darting back and forth, looking for an exit route. When he started speaking again, his voice sounded too loud in the deafening silence. "If you're trying to outfit the golden pup, I'd go with blue," he stated before placing the bag back on the counter and walking out of the kitchen. Bestiary work could get done later when the hunter wasn't so mortified.

"You think?" Allison's question reached his ears as he passed the stairs.

"It'd match his eyes," Peter called out to her. Closing the door behind him, Peter put the lap top down on a dresser. He scrubbed at his face with hands and couldn't contain the laugh that burbled out of him. As he laughed he wondered when it was that his life got so out of control.

*****

Chris Argent hoped he still had a few contacts that would take his call because if he couldn't be there to watch his daughter then he'd make sure that someone was.

*****

Danny leaned back in the computer chair, stretching muscles that desperately needed some type of movement. Glancing over to where Jackson was supposed to be helping him sort myth from fact, it didn't surprise him at all to see the complete opposite happening. At least he tried, Danny thought fondly. The book Jackson had been reading now covered his eyes, his hands still grasped the edges of the book. The book caused an almost snore to form, where normally the wolf didn't make any noise when sleeping. His shirt had ridden up, a patch of skin from the v of his hips to his side exposed. Danny's mind both cheered this development and scolded him for taking notice. It also didn't help that he knew for a fact the rumpled werewolf would be pleasantly warm if he were to crawl into the bed next to him. For napping purposes, not groping purposes, he reminded himself. No, there was no time for napping, and therefore no time to get into awkward situations with his best friend. He turned back to his typing, hands hovering over the keyboard, ready to make the changes that Lydia had detailed to him. Internally grumbling at himself, he turned back towards Jackson, knowing full well that Lydia was going to chew him out for going so slow. Screw-it, he thought. The most ridiculous feeling of possessiveness surged over him at watching Jackson's chest rise and fall with his breaths. Fuck, but he was so in over his head. Even when slacking off, Jackson could still devastate Danny. 

"You are literally thinking so loud, you're making my head hurt," Jackson said, muffled through the book, but still loud enough to make Danny's heart jump a little at being caught staring. Jackson threw the book off of his face, quirking an eyebrow at Danny.

"You can't hear me think, you're not telepathic," Danny quipped, ignoring the rush of blood in his ears. 

"I don't need to be, I can smell most of your emotions nowadays, and I don't remember my room smelling like a lemonade stand before I fell asleep. I know I'm a heavy sleeper but seeing as how all of my clothes are still on, I'm guessing you didn't fondle me in my sleep. I don't know if you're watching porn or what, but either way Lydia's expecting you to finish whatever it is you're doing by tonight," Jackson reminded him. Danny groaned in response.

"I'm half proud of you for getting better at smelling emotions, and half upset that it's already working against me. And I know Lydia's expecting it to get done, which is why I asked you to help, you narcoleptic-wolf," Danny scolded. 

"I think my helping is actually hindering, considering that before I fell asleep, I'm pretty sure I re-read the same paragraph ten times. Whoever wrote this stuff is an incredibly dry author, I wouldn't be able to find anyone who writes mythical stories in a more boring way," Jackson complained, rolling over and snuffling into his pillow. Danny's hands itched to palm all over the back that was now presented for his full viewing pleasure. Jackson's gray t-shirt stretched across his shoulders in what could possibly be the most alluring thing Danny had ever seen. Or the coffee he was drinking wasn't strong enough and now his sleep-addled mind was supplying helpful dream images of his fantasies. "Besides," Jackson started, "Lydia kept me up all night," he huffed.

Danny gave him a look.

"Not like that," Jackson rolled his eyes. "She wanted help with her pyrokinesis. All I did was hold a fire extinguisher and make sure she didn't set her house on fire." 

"And you did this all night? Does she ever sleep?" 

"Not lately," Jackson grumbled, burrowing deeper into his bed. "I think she's tying place with Isaac on the sleep deprivation chart."

"I might be making a lead for third place if she doesn't lay off all these edits. Between her and Stiles, I think they'd both be happier forgetting that we need to sleep at all."

"So, come take a nap with me," Jackson offered, his legs tangling in the blankets. As if Danny needed incentive to slot his legs between Jackson's and curl into his tempting warmth.

"But-"

"I'll take the blame when Lydia calls, just get over here already," Jackson demanded, wiggling his shoulders as his lips formed a sly grin. Fuck, Danny thought, breaking down and saving the documents he had up. Bones popped when he stood, protesting the sudden movement. He stared down at Jackson, starfish-ed and taking up most of the bed. Of course, he thought, slipping in beside the wolf. He was rewarded with Jackson's rolling growl, the purr of the werewolf world as Stiles said. Danny's hand curled against Jackson's spine, and his leg fit over the wolf's thigh. He'd been right, Jackson was warm, a comforting heat underneath his face. 

Jackson couldn't help grinning to himself. Danny's arousal filled the air around them, along with his affection and want. Maybe Lydia had been right, and he was stalling. He just had to be sure.

*****

Lydia opened Jackson's bedroom door and couldn't be more unsurprised if she tried. Jackson and Danny were curled in Jackson's bed, not working, not editing, and...actually being kind of adorable if she was honest. She put her bags down as quietly as she could, not wanting to wake Danny, and wondering if Jackson would subconsciously know it was her and not wake up. She unzipped her skirt, letting it fall to the floor, and untied the bow on the back of her shirt so she could take it off too. After dropping her bra, she grabbed one of Jackson's t-shirts. It didn't quite cover her butt, but she didn't care if Danny saw, knowing that he wouldn't care either. A yawn came over her suddenly, she was more tired than she thought. Or maybe it was just the pull of her packmates. 

Danny startled at feeling the bed dip, only to see Lydia slotting herself against Jackson's other side. He felt Jackson's greeting rumble, and suddenly felt very self-conscious about being caught cuddling up to Lydia's boyfriend. He started to pull his hand away from Jackson's back when Lydia's hand griped his. She tucked her face into Jackson's shoulder, and held Danny's hand, feeling sleep already tug at her. Danny settled back in, wondering not for the first time, if he could really have this.

*****

"Aw, come on, it's not that high really," Erica told her littermates.

"I've only been looking up for five minutes and already my neck hurts. We're wolves, not squirrels," Isaac responded, circling the tree the she-wolf had insisted she climb. Boyd stood on the other side of the tree, an exasperated look on his face. He bent his knees a little, getting ready to swoop to the rescue quite literally if she should fall.

"You two have no sense of adventure," Erica said, holding onto the trunk of the tree and standing on a branch. She wasn't sure if the branch above her would hold, but she wanted to get as high as she could. Maybe she would be able to spot the construction site from this vantage point. 

Isaac shoulder bumped Boyd, growling playfully, as he circled. Boyd growled back, taking up Isaac's offer on play and chasing him through the trees. Isaac weaved in and out, but when Boyd dropped to all fours, the golden wolf couldn't evade him any longer. They tussled on the floor, dirt getting under their shirts, and in Isaac's curly hair. Boyd pinned Isaac to the floor, expecting Isaac to bare throat and submit like he normally would. Instead, Isaac's eyes flashed yellow, and he struggled harder, almost bucking Boyd off of him. Confused, and with fangs filling his mouth, Boyd held him, growling deeper. Isaac was having none of it, and a feral growl that could rival Derek's own, burst forth, causing Boyd to pause, and giving Isaac just the right amount of give to flip Boyd over and off of him. 

Isaac's wolf felt pissed off, and nervous, and he could feel his control slipping. The wolf promised him safety and Isaac wanted it too much to hold on, his blue eyes bleeding into amber, claws extending out to protect himself. A part of him knew that Boyd was his pack, his littermate, and his superior. With Derek gone, he felt lost, and no amount of comfort by the pack was helping, it was too much, and Isaac couldn't take it anymore. 

Boyd felt his wolf answer Isaac's display, but he kept it back, the frightened look in Isaac's eyes telling him all he needed to know of his packmate's mental state. 

"Hey, that doesn't sound like play growling," Erica called out, trying to look down through the tree branches to see them. Her hackles had rose at hearing a particularly vicious sounding growl. Huffing, she started to make her way down the tree, sometimes the boys got into overheated squabbles. Stupid testosterone, she thought, shaking a hand as she accidentally placed it in sap. She hit the ground with a thunk. Boyd and Isaac were facing off, but it didn't look like Isaac had submitted like he should have. 

"Boyd," Erica said, putting her hand on his shoulder.

"Something's not right," he answered, lisping a little around his elongated teeth. 

"Isaac," she rumbled, hoping his name would snap him out of it. He snapped his jaws in her direction and she stopped moving, hands out and palms up in a placating gesture. "Come on, pup, it's just us," she tried to tell him. A growl caught in his throat, turning into a confused whine. His eyes darted to the side where an open path was, and Erica hoped he wouldn't bolt.

A very human wolf howl broke the tension. Isaac felt his pocket vibrate, his cell phone ringing with a recording of Stiles howling to the best of his ability. His claws that were shaking, retracted, his human side gaining a hold. Stiles was safe, Stiles would keep him safe. He took his phone out of his pocket and stopped short just as the phone reached his ear, a foreign scent reaching his nose.

"Hello? Isaac?" Stiles sounded worried, but Isaac didn't answer. He turned around in time to catch movement on his left.

"Isaac?" Boyd asked, as he picked up the same scent. Erica and Boyd saw it happen at the same time, a shape throw itself into Isaac, quicker than either of them could have seen coming, and faster than Erica was. The tang of blood hit the air.

"Isaac!? Hello?! Is anyone there? Isaac!" Stiles' voice yelled through the phone.


	11. A Quick Panic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A familiar creature makes an appearance and the pack goes into a panic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoo, finally done :) The cliffhanger gets resolved, no other warnings for this chapter.
> 
> My lovely beta: StefanyD

Scott wasn't scared, there was no reason to be scared. Being a werewolf pretty much limited the ways in which he could be severely injured, and even then more than likely he'd heal from injuries that could mortally wound a human. There was no need to panic. The pull of Isaac no longer felt that urgent, and he knew, just knew that his mate, their mate, was okay. Besides, it wasn't like Stiles was driving that fast, just a mere, Scott covertly took a peek, fifteen miles over the speed limit. He griped the door handle, feet pushed out against the floor of the Jeep to steady himself as Stiles made another turn. No big, Scott wasn't scared. 

Except that he was maybe terrified that Stiles was going to total the Jeep with them in it. And unlike him, Stiles had vulnerable bits. In fact, Stiles was one human sized vulnerable bit that would most likely not survive a crash. Derek would murder him if the survivor's guilt didn't get to him first. 

"Stiles...he's okay, dude, just slow the car down or we're going to get pulled over by one of your dad's deputies, again," Scott said. Relief washed over him when Stiles slowed. 

"Sorry, I..." Stiles huffed and ran a still shaking hand over his head. 

"I know, I felt it too." Scott and Stiles had been out on the lacrosse field when they both felt it. A sudden wave of uneasiness that made them pause their game. Scott knew it had to be Isaac for both of them to react, but he hadn't counted on the feeling of absolute terror that crashed over him, nearly making him shift right there in public. The color drained from Stiles face and then they were both tearing off the field, leaving behind their equipment and slamming the Jeep's doors shut. 

Now they were driving along the roads that lead to the deeper parts of the forest, getting as close as they could to where they felt Isaac. Stiles sucked in a noisy breath, attempting to calm himself. It wasn't easy with Isaac's fading panic clogging his throat. He hoped for their sake, that whatever it was that had Isaac so upset wasn't made of flesh and blood. He may not have claws like most of his pack, but that didn't mean Stiles couldn't be deadly in his own right. 

*****

Peter had most certainly lost control of his life. Not that he had much control since coming back from the dead, but he especially didn't have any now. He had been busy trying to decide whether or not he wanted to investigate the odd twinge he felt in his chest when he heard Allison bolting down the stairs. Her heart rate suggested that he should at least make sure she wasn't having a medical episode. He hadn't expected to have keys thrown at him, which he caught one handed. 

"You'll drive," she ordered, slinging a large duffel bag over her shoulder and ripping the front door open, not even bothering to see if he would follow. He did, follow, to his amazement. His wolf had responded to the fierceness in her voice, the resolve in her eyes. Something about it was so familiar that he slid into the driver's seat of her car and peeled off the driveway before his mind caught up to what was happening.

He had obeyed the demands of a hunter. Allison was his packmate, but still a hunter, a young hunter. It unsettled him, made him want to snap and snarl at her for presuming that he would listen. Why had he listened?

"Turn left here," Allison said, busy loading an arrow into her handheld crossbow. The glint of silver made him flinch before he could stop the reaction. Echoes of an arrow flying towards him before fire engulfed him had him gritting his teeth. 

A grinding sound caused Allison to look over at Peter.

"Oh, I'm sorry, they aren't wolfsbane laced. Is there something in them that's unpleasant?" Allison asked, wondering if she should put the crossbow away until they got there. 

"Just memories," Peter muttered, rolling down the windows to see if he could catch a whiff of Erica. 

"Oh, right." She put the crossbow down and rifled in her bag for two guns instead. She loaded the clips in, the click of them calming her nerves. 

"I'm not sure that makes me feel safer," Peter commented, hoping that they could keep the illegal activity down a bit. 

"I'm not sure what happened, but Isaac's distress levels went through the roof and I want to be prepared. If it's another hunter, well, they aren't the only one in these woods," Allison nearly growled.

Please don't be another hunter, Peter projected out into the universe. He doubted the universe would answer him favorably.

***** 

Erica watched in horror as the biggest raccoon she had ever seen slammed into Isaac. Blood splattered onto the dirt and the tanuki roared. The sound spurred Boyd and her into action, both of them jumping on top of the bear-sized beast. Erica's claws sunk deep into its hide as she tried to break its spine. It reached back to grab Boyd, but as it turned its head, Isaac's teeth found purchase at its throat. A couple of vicious shakes of his head and blood poured out of it, blurring his vision with red. Erica heard the tanuki's heart stop and felt relief wash over her. 

"Isaac!" She called, sliding off of it after Boyd. A semi-circle of puncture marks dotted Isaac's shoulder. Boyd could barely make them out as Isaac's shirt was drenched in tanuki blood. He leaned into Boyd, his eyes shifting between blue and gold. 

"Tanuki? Again? Why didn't we smell it this time?" Isaac asked, coughing a little. The tanuki started smoking, causing them all to step back. It began to shrink, big jaws becoming a normal raccoon snout. The only thing not shrinking was its scrotum. 

"It probably just got here. This one looks dirty, maybe it was rabid," Boyd guessed, wanting badly to poke it with a stick.

"Rabid?" Isaac coughed. He felt the sting of the bites as he craned his neck to see them. Erica hit Boyd in the arm that wasn't supporting Isaac.

"No, not rabid," please don't be rabid, she prayed, "Misplaced, maybe?"

"Misplaced?" Isaac winced, a tremor going through his body.

"Well, didn't Lydia say there are endemic to Japan? Come on, let's go before someone stumbles upon us with you looking like you're trying to make it onto America's Most Wanted," she gestured to Isaac's shirt. He took a step forward and felt his knees start to tremble.

"I don't think I can, I'm not going to make it very far," Isaac grit out, a spasm running up his spine. 

"Oh fuck, it really was rabid?!" Erica cried.

"No, remember last time when Derek got slashed? The tanuki have poison or something in them. Makes it hard to heal," Isaac groaned. 

"I've got you," Boyd said, ignoring Isaac's protesting growls and slinging the pup over his shoulder. 

"If I throw up on you, I'm not sorry," Isaac hissed, his vision starting to go blurry. 

"Please don't throw up. I'm unfortunately one of those sympathetic vomiters. It's not going to be pretty," Erica told them, looking back at the small body and wondering if they should bury it or something. 

"Jesus, am I going to have to carry you both?" Boyd grumbled. Erica went to walk behind him, to keep Isaac company, and rub his back as she took his pain. 

"Stiles isn't going to like this," she muttered, getting out her cell phone.

*****

"Looks like they're out in the denser part of the forest," Danny said, looking at the fast moving dots on the computer screen. 

"I didn't schedule a training session, so it looks like everyone is freaking out over something but no one is answering their phones, typical," Lydia complained. 

"So, are we going to follow them or...?" Jackson asked, leaning over Danny's shoulder to see the screen. 

"No, we'll go to Stiles' house instead. I'm sure once everyone is done overreacting they'll regroup theres." She went over to her closet and pulled out her paintball gun case.

"Uh, I thought you said they are overreacting," Jackson said pointedly.

"This isn't me overreacting, this is me being prepared." Jackson snorted but didn't say anything else. "Oh good, another one who is probably freaking out," Lydia scowled at her phone. "Hello, thoroughly annoyed at your service."

"What's going on! I can't reach anyone by phone-"

"You're not the only one, Derek. We can't either, it's a whole big clusterfuck."

"What do you mean, are you not all together?" Derek asked.

"No, we aren't. It's been getting a bit claustrophobic if you get my drift. We've been on top of each other for days now, so we've been trying to distance ourselves a little bit. I'm here with Danny and Jackson." 

"It's Isaac, whatever is happening, it's happening to Isaac," Derek bit out. 

"From the tracking system it looks like Erica and Boyd are with him. Plus the calvary is on the way with Stiles and Scott coming in from one direction as well as Allison and Peter from the other. So, he should be in good hands in a couple of minutes. We were just about to go to Stiles' house and wait for them there, unless you want us to do something else?" 

"No, you should go to Stiles'. It's just..."

"It's Isaac, I know. I'll call when I know more," she said, hanging up. 

"Well, that answers why we aren't freaking out. Allison, Scott, and Stiles must've all felt Isaac, and Peter is just along for the ride," Danny guessed, leaning back and inadvertently leaning into Jackson. 

"You have your scheme face on, what are you conspiring now?" Jackson asked, grabbing his jacket as Danny packed up his computer. 

"Just, it'd be better if we were all mates. Then we'd all know instantly instead of some of us knowing and the others left in the dark." 

"The pack polyamory theory again," Danny nodded, following Jackson and Lydia to the Porsche. 

"The pack what now?" Jackson asked, getting his keys out of his pocket.

"Allison made a compelling argument a while back that one way or another, it feels like the pack is slowly becoming one big mass of relationships. Lydia's suggesting that if we were all mates, we wouldn't have this delayed what's-happening-to-who reaction."

"A pack orgy. That's basically what you're saying," Jackson said. 

"Not just sex, but relationships. Haven't you noticed?" She asked, rolling down her passenger side window.

"Kind of? Isn't that a little weird though?"

"Jackson you're a werewolf. You no longer get to decide what's weird," Lydia sighed, hoping that Isaac was okay.

*****

Stiles' hands had yet to stop shaking. The sight of Isaac drenched in blood would be forever etched into his memory. Finding out that almost all of that blood wasn't from his mate, made Stiles feel marginally better, but the panic he felt had yet to fade. His pack was upstairs in their bed, curled around Isaac. Lydia had patched him up, smearing noxious smelling herbs on him and taping the gaze pads into place. She had squeezed Stiles hand and told him to go make tea with a knowing look in her eyes. She had seen how shaken Stiles felt, guessing correctly that it'd be better for him to calm down than bring frantic energy into the puppy pile.

He dialed Derek, who thankfully answered on the second ring.

"He's okay," Stiles started, swallowing back the odd lump in his throat. "Tanuki, again, can you believe it? Lydia thinks that it followed the scent of the last one and wrong place, wrong time for the betas. He's sleeping it off now, so it shouldn't take him long to heal."

"Good, that's, good," Derek said, waiting for Stiles to say more.

"I kept thinking it was hunters, I kept thinking that I was going to be too late. A thousand bad ending scenarios went through my mind on loop, each worse than the last. And then I thought, this is what you must feel when one of us gets hurt, and how fucking terrible that is. I thought, shit I thought..." Stiles trailed off, holding his head in his hand and the other gripping the phone. 

"I thought it too. All of it. If it wasn't for one of the other alphas, I would still be red eyed and trying to run back to you." 

"Making friends?" Stiles asked, his voice going light. 

"I wouldn't say friends."

"Oh, come on, you just said someone talked you down from going He-wolf. You only let friends do that."

"Fine, Mia might be becoming a friend."

"Ohhhhh, Mia is it?" Stiles asked intrigued.

"I knew you were going to say that. Don't say that, she's 56 and reminds me of my grandmother." 

"Age is just a number, babe. Is she more of the silver fox variety or a still raring to go cougar? Should I be making canine analogies instead? More hyena? I mean those are matriarchal at least." 

"Stiles, no, just stop," Derek answered fondly. 

"When are you coming home? This alpha business is stressful. If I didn't have Lydia here, I'd chain all of them in one place just so I know where'd they be at."

"A couple of more weeks to a month, tops."

"A month? Fuck, I don't know if my nerves can make it that long."

"Ditto. I have to go, we're leaving in ten minutes and I'm driving."

"Okay. Be safe, text when you get wherever it is you're going."

"I will. Bye, Red," Derek said softly.

"Bye, Sourwolf." Stiles got up to flick the switch on the electric tea kettle and then go up the stairs to his room. Predictably, the pack was wound around one another, twined like hibernating snakes. Isaac was in the middle, sandwiched between Allison and Boyd. Lydia waved him over to a spot between her and Erica. 

"Better?" Lydia whispered, searching his face for her answer.

"Thanks," he replied. He closed his eyes and allowed the security of his packmates to fill him. 

Lydia bit her lip as her mind raced. They needed better plans for when emergencies happened. They needed to train harder, to rely on each other more, to trust more. Lydia didn't just want for her pack to function, she wanted them to be the best. She listened to Stiles' breathing even out and only then did she allow herself to close her eyes.


	12. Formations are A-Changing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With their road trip almost done, Chris and Derek head towards their final challenge. Meanwhile back in Beacon Hills, the pack does some retail therapy, and a newcomer is unwelcome.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shhhh, let's all just pretend this chapter wasn't as late as it was... In this chapter we have a few interesting relationship formations happen. There is sex in this chapter, so the warnings are: somewhat threesome, knotting 
> 
> My lovely beta: StefanyD

"Your pack okay now?" Mia asked once they had settled themselves on an empty picnic bench, coffee steaming in cups before them. Their little crusade had gotten too big for motels so they had taken to camping. Tents sprawled out around them, dotting the forest floor and peeking out from behind trees. Derek had never been around so many wolves before. Or that many hunters, as more than a few families of reformed hunters had joined their ranks.

"Yes, our town seems to draw in other supernatural things. But they're okay," Derek said, looking forlornly at his cell phone. The only thing he hated about camping was that his cell phone reception was spotty at best. 

"It's hard for all of us, away from our packs, and homes. Away from our mates. You looked about damn near out of your mind with worry yesterday, I thought for sure you were going to bolt," Mia remarked, looking at a couple sneaking out of a tent. They had different pack scents, and she wondered idly about how many packs were going to have to negotiate long distance mates once this was over. 

"Thanks for, um, talking me down. I've lost too much to lose what little pack I have left," Derek confided. Mia hummed.

"You didn't shift like I thought you would, at least not completely."

Derek turned all of his focus solely onto his coffee, refusing to meet her eyes, which were the most extraordinary shade of wine red. Too long in her alpha form, she'd told him, had changed her eye color. 

"Have you ever shifted into an alpha form?" 

"...no..." Derek muttered, feeling the weight of Mia's gaze. To his surprise she started laughing, a throaty chuckle that made a few others turn to stare at them. Derek fidgeted uncomfortably.

"You're messed up just like I was," she revealed, once her laughter had subsided. Derek's forehead furrowed as she took another sip of coffee. "Lost too much, at too young an age. I wanted to drown in my anger. I let it anchor me, let my wolf run crazed whenever I felt like it. Alpha power twists us all at first, and those who are well adjusted, who are groomed for it, have an easier time. But for those of us who had other plans, well, the power is too seductive, and I let it ruin me. I wet my muzzle more than once with blood, outsider and packmate alike. Boy, I was a fucking terror, is what. Spent days blacked out with hate. I'll never understand how my pack didn't just put me out of my misery." 

"You're the most controlled alpha I've met," Derek argued. "What changed?" 

Mia smiled, her canines were just a little too long and one peeked out every time she grinned. 

"One of my beta's got pregnant. When that little cub came into the world and I saw her for the first time, I bawled my eyes out. Like a dam had been broken in me, and I cried, and cried. Scared the fuck out of my pack, they hadn't seen me cry in years. I saw that baby girl, and I wanted so much for her. I knew I had to get myself straightened out, I couldn't keep going on how I was, not with this perfect little thing counting on us to do right by her. See anger anchors us, but after awhile it'll just eat you up from the inside, makes you hollow, makes you numb. Love on the other hand, fills us up, it's easier to hold on to. It makes us stronger. Once I'd gone about fixing myself up, it didn't take long at all to find myself tripping over my paws over my mate. And as I think you know, mates are the best anchors we can have." She winked at him, knowingly. "I hear gossip that one of yours is human, and young to boot." 

"What, how...? How does this stuff even get out, I haven't told anyone," Derek said exasperatedly.

"Wolves have big ears, and with you being somewhat of a celebrity around these parts, well, gossip is fun to have," Mia chuckled. 

"Celebrity?"

"Oh yes, don't you know? It's because you started this whole deal. You and that gruff hunter. The younger wolves are getting quite good at eavesdropping on your conversations, especially when it sounds like a young paramour is on the line." 

Derek snorted. 

"Well, I guess they'll love it when the find out I have two mates. The gruff hunter I'm with has a daughter who is one of my packmates. One of my mates, Isaac, is also her mate. How's that for gossip," Derek shook his head. 

"Mia, did you need more coffee?" A green eyed wolf asked as she twirled a strand of black hair in her fingers. She looked between Derek and Mia but wouldn't meet their eyes. 

"No, thank you Penny, I just got this cup, and you didn't want to see if I needed something you're just being a nosy bitch," Mia lightly scolded with humor in her tone. 

"But Mia, he just said he has two mates, and a human one at that! We don't have any humans in our pack, how did you get yours?" Penny sat down next to Mia, all excited energy and bright eyes. Mia flicked Penny's nose.

"Now, I know you have better manners than that," Mia said, giving Penny a reproving glance. Penny looked down for a brief moment. 

"Sooooo," Penny began, "Would you please tell us about your humans?" 

"Penny!" Mia reprimanded.

"What? You said to have better manners. I said, please!" Penny exclaimed, gesturing with her hands. 

"Excuse her Derek, she's the runt of the litter," Mia explained. Their bickering made Derek smile. They reminded him of the family he lost, and of his new pack back home. 

"I don't mind," Derek offered. Penny lit up with excitement, and bounced in her seat a little. Mia rolled her eyes. 

"Now, you'll never get rid of her," Mia groused, slinging an arm around her packmate, and getting ready to listen. The alpha before her may be young, but she would bet, he had a lot to teach them.

*****

"I'm sorry," Isaac whispered, wary of waking up Erica who was spooned behind him. She was snoring, her breath warm across his neck. Last time he woke her up from a snooze she bit his thigh. With his neck under her lips, he didn't want to disturb her and get chewed on again.

"For what?" Boyd turned away from the zombie flick they had been watching, putting it on pause. Lydia had made them all start running as a pack as soon as Isaac had healed completely. Accounting for their extra stamina, she'd calculated just how long they should be able to run, and how fast. She had also made them run blindfolded, so as not to rely on only their eyes. Barely anyone had walked away without a bruise or two. After their sweaty incursion the three of them had crashed in Erica's room. 

"Before the tanuki attacked, I...wasn't myself. I just haven't felt right lately, but I shouldn't have taken it out on you." 

"It's okay, I know you've been struggling with Derek gone. It's tough, you don't have to apologize for feeling like you want to climb out of your skin. We're cool," Boyd told him. 

"S'good, now kiss and make-out," Erica mumbled, pushing at the back of Isaac's head. 

"Isn't it kiss and makeup?" Isaac asked, giving up on resisting her. He ended up with his head being smothered into Boyd's chest while Boyd laughed. 

"Maybe, but mine's infinitely better because it involves more than one kiss," she explained as she got out her phone.

 

To: Batman, Scotty Wolf, Big Bad Wolf, Lil Hunter

hey is it ok if i make-out with ur puppy 

 

Boyd raised his eyebrows at her and she smiled, full of mischief. Someone needed to start this meshing of relationships, and if no one was going to step up to the bat, well, she wasn't known for her patience. Besides, it wasn't like she hadn't tasted Isaac before, back when they were new at being wolves and their blood had run so hot. 

 

To: Chompers

Sure if it's okay with him

 

One down, three to go. She wiggled her toes in anticipation. Shifting up the bed, she leaned over Isaac to kiss Boyd. Used to this sort of thing happening more often than naught, Isaac settled in between them and closed his eyes. Her phone beeped twice, and she pulled away from Boyd with a smack of her lips, grinning.

 

To: Catwoman

lol, duh it's ok, in fact i may need photo evidence so i can personally tell u how ok it is

To: Were-Erica

yeah, i'm cool with that :)

 

Yes! Erica did an internal victory dance, just one left. Although, out of everyone, it was Scott who Erica was sure would say no. 

 

To: erika

as long as u respect him n da morning, jk, kind of, no rly tho its ok

To: Scotty Wolf

u sure?

To: erika

mhm, bein n a 3some sort of opened me up 2 dis stuff, go forth n make-out

 

"Pup, you want to make-out?" Erica blurted after taping Isaac's nose. Boyd snorted as Isaac froze, turning so that he could stare at her. 

"Ummm..."

"I cleared it with your significant others, so you don't have to worry about them disapproving. See?" She held out her phone for both the boys to see. 

"But...?" Isaac looked over at Boyd. For an answer, Boyd rolled Isaac to him, and grabbed Erica so that they were facing each other in the crook of his arm. He then put his movie back on.

"Do you want to?" Erica asked him again, reaching out so that she could stroke his cheek and trace his jaw.

"Yeah, I do," Isaac answered. He closed the small distance between their mouths, melting into her with a release of tension he didn't even know he was holding onto. He had missed this, the scent of her in his nose, and the confident way she licked into his mouth, deliberate and with no intention of going any further. She slid a hand down his neck, to the hollow of his throat, holding him in place, as if he had anywhere else to be. He bit on her bottom lip, swiping his tongue across it soothingly, things he remembered she liked. It'd been so long since they'd done this, since they'd stolen away moments in unused parts of the high school. It'd start with a sigh from her, or a glance from him, and then they'd be growling into each other's throats, leaving marks that'd fade far to fast for either of their liking.

Erica was bold in her kissing, sliding her tongue along his and making greedy little noises. She'd missed this too, the softness of his lips, and the way his body would go limp with relief, like he'd been waiting for just this. This was how they comforted each other, how they told each other they were alright. With Boyd's hand in her hair, she snuggled against Isaac and wound a hand in his curls, tilting his head to nip at his throat. When he started rumbling at the soft suction of her lips, she glanced up and caught Boyd smiling. She licked at an already fading mark, and gave Boyd a pointed look. His smile got a bit toothier before he put his focus back on the movie. Isaac nuzzled at her jaw near her ear, making her start purring. Oh yes, she thought, they were definitely going to have to do this more often. 

Sometime later, when the movie was over, and Isaac had fallen asleep, a shaky breath against his neck jolted him awake. He'd closed his eyes around the time they'd changed positions, with Erica in the middle, spooning against his back. Instead of her hands loosely wrapped around him, they were clutching him with claws sharp enough that he felt the pinpricks through his shirt. The bed rocked and another gasp-like breath blew against his hair, causing goosebumps to break out on his skin. 

"Sorry, did we wake you? We can stop," Erica told him. He shook his head.

"Don't stop on my account," he yawned, wiggling backwards so that she threw a leg over him. Boyd rested a hand on his shoulder, and Isaac lifted his hand so that their fingers were intertwined. The next thrust rocked all three of them. The motion of it, the back and forth thrusts that were unhurried, started to lull Isaac back to sleep. Who knew getting rocked to sleep by your littermates having sex would be so relaxing?

"Can we keep him?" Erica whispered after Isaac had fallen back asleep. She tucked a damp strand of hair behind her ear, and licked her lips in the afterglow of her orgasm. 

"I don't think he's going to get away from us tonight," Boyd answered, groaning lightly as Erica tried to wiggle her hips into a better position. He didn't knot often, but he had felt the need to this time around. 

"I don't want to give him back in the morning. He needs us, all of us. It'd be better for him if the others would stop pussyfooting around and acknowledge that we all have an open pack policy. Look at how much calmer his is," Erica sighed, rubbing her face between Isaac's shoulder blades. His breathing didn't change, too deep in sleep, and with the smell of them in his nose, there was no reason for him to wake up. 

Boyd slipped a hand just beneath Isaac's shirt, feeling along his hip bones, and holding the pup to them. He felt more bony than Boyd remembered. Had he been eating less? Shit, Boyd thought, now he was getting paranoid. He felt Isaac's ribs, trying to see if he could remember how lean his packmate was. Grumbling to himself, Boyd shut his eyes. There was nothing he could do about it at the moment. 

Long after Erica resumed her snoring, Boyd was still awake. He listened to her noisy snuffles, and Isaac's light breaths. Isaac wasn't the only one that needed the rest of his packmates in this way. It'd be better for Erica as well. And if he was being honest with himself, he'd enjoyed watching Erica with someone else more than he thought he would. Having other people would benefit him too. Resolving to call Derek, Boyd tried to quell his racing thoughts. The last thing he needed was another sleepless night.

*****

Stiles yawned, rubbing at his eyes before blinking into awareness, only to see Peter's face inches away from his own.

"HOLY Shit!" He flailed, tangling himself in the blankets. Allison and Scott weren't in the bed anymore, even though he was pretty sure they'd fallen asleep at some point. 

"They're in the shower," Peter supplied helpfully, and suspiciously.

"Was this really necessary? Haven't we gotten over the whole, it's funny to scare your human packmate half to death, thing?" Stiles sat up after untangling his feet. Peter lounged on his back, hands behind his head, and gave a small shrug.

"No, oh, okay, that's cool then. I'll just start the day with a fresh heart attack instead of coffee."

"I think your dad left some coffee in the pot downstairs, so you could have both if you wanted." 

"Uh huh," Stiles grunted. While it was getting less and less odd that Peter was around, it was still odd when the wolf sought him out. "You're not here because something is wrong are you?" 

"Nope," he answered vaguely.

"Any news from Derek, or news in general?"

"Nope." Peter's eyes drifted closed, one of his feet idly swaying back and forth.

"Did you need something from me?"

"Nope."

"Okay, I give up, what are you doing here?"

"Trying to sleep, but the annoying chatterbox alpha won't shut his trap."

"Trying to...but I was sleeping until you creeped in here." 

"I have to amuse myself somehow." 

"I hate you. So, why'd the insomnia faerie visit you last night?" 

Peter sighed deeply, opening one eye to glare fiercely at Stiles. 

"Oh, come on, the least you could do after rudely interrupting my sleep is answer why," Stiles complained.

"I've gotten disgustingly used to not having an empty house." 

Stiles opened his mouth to say something but stopped himself. Peter didn't like revealing very much about himself, for him to say something that might even resemble needing another person, was beyond strange. He knew Peter felt them all, when they were in trouble, when they couldn't sleep. Peter wasn't unaffected by Derek's absence, and yet Stiles hadn't once heard him ask for anything to alleviate his discomfort. 

"Oh, with Allison here, and Erica at her own house for once, you had the Argent's place to yourself." 

"Mm." 

"You know you could've called, or asked Erica to go over there, I'm sure she wouldn't have turned you down," Stiles said slumping back down into the blankets. Northern California didn't know how to handle summers properly, and the gloominess outside indicated that the week would probably be wet and cold. Peter didn't say anything. "It's okay to ask us for things sometimes. This whole lone wolf in a wolf pack is going to get stale, and maybe if you leaned on us a little more we'd trust you a little more." 

Peter's answer to that was to cover Stiles' face with the blankets and growl lightly. 

"Shhh, no more unnecessary bonding. Go to sleep."

"I don't see what Erica sees in you, you have terrible bed manners," Stiles said, wanting to have the last word. When the silence between them had stretched for longer than Stiles was comfortable with, he inched a little closer to Peter. Pretending he was just stretching, he kept inching, seeing if maybe the wolf needed comfort that'd he'd never ask for. He was just getting close to touching a leg when Peter snarled, not a loud aggressive sound, but a whisper of one, barely there but with enough force to make Stiles still.

"That's close enough."

"Okay." Stiles knew when not to push. They were pack, but they still had so much to learn about one another. 

When Allison and Scott made their way back to Stiles' room, the sight of a lumpy alpha and their occasionally sociopathic packmate made them shrug at each other. They crept downstairs and to the kitchen, careful to miss the stairs that squeaked. 

"Come on, we'll go walk the territory perimeter like Derek wants, then we can stop by the sporting goods store. I ordered some new arrows that should be coming in today," Allison told Scott, securing her damp hair in a bun. 

"Sounds good. Derek's been texting me non-stop about it, it'd be good to tell him that it's covered." It wasn't that Scott didn't want to protect their land, and whoa when had it started being their land, but the Hale territory stretched far into the forest and around the entire town. If they didn't start early, it'd take half the day. Scott just didn't have the patience for it, but if Allison was going to go along, then it'd be bearable. He felt odd about leaving Stiles alone with Peter. It still didn't feel right to have Peter around so much, but if Stiles could sleep in Peter's presence, he guessed there wasn't much to worry about. 

Allison wrote a note telling Stiles where they were going and placed it on the coffee machine. She didn't want him to worry, he did enough of that as it was.

*****

"That's leopard print," Lydia stated, eyeing the blouse Erica held out to her. 

"Is it? Hadn't noticed," Erica said, pushing the chiffon material into Lydia's hand. 

"I don't do animal prints. Does it come in pink?" Lydia held up the offending article of clothing. It was pretty cute, but she couldn't abide by the pattern. 

"Nuh uh, that's not how this works. You said we'd pick out a few things for the other to try on. There wasn't any guidelines other than the right size. Besides, that's the tamest thing I could find," Erica grinned. "You should've seen the the ruffled shorts and lime green corset I had in my hands." 

"And you didn't want me to try that on?" Lydia wrinkled her nose. 

"Nope, I decided I wanted it for me," Erica winked, nodding down at the crook of her arm, where she held the clothes she was going to try on. 

"Uh huh, well I have my items, did you want go try on now?" 

"Sure," Erica responded, looking around for the fitting room signs. She had been surprised when Lydia invited her out to shop. Even more surprised when Lydia asked Boyd and Danny along as well. The boys were off no doubt wandering around in the rest of the mall, leaving her alone with Lydia. Which shouldn't be strange, except that Erica could count on one hand how many times she'd been alone with Lydia. 

Lydia led her into a empty stall, the largest one that was made for women with strollers. Okay, nothing weird about that, girls did this all the time right? Getting naked together and trying on clothes? Right? Maybe she should text Boyd to make sure, Erica thought, dubiously eyeing Lydia as she started taking her top off. Nudity didn't faze her, but there was something calculated in Lydia's movements, a whisper of planning, with a hint of intent. When she went to take off her skirt, the sway of her hips couldn't be a coincidence, not with the way her eyes were gleaming in the mirror. Was Lydia trying to rile her up?

"What do you think?" Lydia asked, twirling to show off the navy blue lace top. It was low-cut, showing a generous amount of Lydia's ample breasts. 

"Oh, that's a good one," Erica smiled, wondering why she suddenly felt very caged in, in the oversized stall. 

"I picked this one for you, I think it has the requisite amount of skin you normally show, plus look, buckles," Lydia smirked, dangling a light pink top with more buckles than material. Erica unzipped her corset, and tossed off the tank top she'd been wearing underneath. She tried to shimmy into the top but the buckles kept getting tangled and she ended up with her arms akimbo, feeling more than little silly.

"Um, this clothing monstrosity is trying to eat me, a little help please?" She had managed to get her arms stuck, making any movement near impossible. Erica's skin twitched at the first touch of Lydia's hands, smoothing the buckles into place, and tucking her arms through the correct holes. Lydia's touch lingered, gliding across her back, whisper soft against her hips. Erica held her breath when Lydia focused her attention on the front of the garment. The front had three buckled pieces that were supposed hold her chest. Lydia slid the cups over her breasts, strapping her in. 

"There!" Lydia said with a flourish of her hand. "What do you think?"

Admittedly, Lydia had picked out something that Erica just might have to buy. Though it was a hassle to get into, she liked the peek-a-boo slits at her hips and the mostly bare back. Lydia's nose wrinkled in indecisiveness.

"I'm not sure this is the look I was going for."

"You don't like it?"

"No, I do, but I still think that having you significantly more naked with your lipstick smeared would be an even better look on you."

Erica had barely a second to comprehend what Lydia had said before the acting alpha's lips were on hers. Lydia's mouth fit against hers with the slickness from her lipgloss, caressing her lips with a slight stickiness. Surprised, her mouth opened just a bit, enough for Lydia to slot her tongue in, swiping across Erica's bottom lip.

Lydia didn't know what it was about Erica that made her want to taste the she-wolf. Maybe it was the way she always talked back, or the perpetual smirk outlined by candy apple red lips. Maybe it was the swell of her breasts or the candid words that often spilled from her supple mouth. Maybe it was her fearlessness, or her brashness. Maybe it was the way she kissed Boyd, with her whole body, slinking against his with hips just as fierce, and teeth that bit quiet moans from him. Lydia wanted to know what it was that would make Erica quiver against her, what would make her sigh in delight, what would make her knees shake. What would cause the wolf to beg for release?

Lydia backed Erica into one of the walls, glad that she had worn heels that day. Even with them she was still a little shorter. She pressed into Erica with purpose, as if she could melt into her, pour her lust into the wolf, fill her up. She kissed her urgently, feeling the cotton of her panties become damp with each pass of her tongue.

Erica had learned since becoming a werewolf, that going with the flow seemed to prove an invaluable tactic. If Lydia wanted to get naked, and fuck, right here in the changing room, she was so on board with that. With the taste of strawberries on her tongue, Erica would've just about agreed to anything Lydia suggested. She moaned when Lydia started nipping down her neck, and hoped that no one else wanted to try clothes on.

*****

"What made you want to take the bite?" Danny asked, weaving in between the clothes racks. He hadn't been too keen on shopping when Lydia dragged him along, but now that he was here, why waste the trip?

"A couple of different things," Boyd answered, stopping to scent the area. All the people in the store made for a convergence of many different smells, and it would make it easier for a hunter to hide in the crowd. 

"Like?" 

Boyd turned to glance at Danny, who ducked a little sheepishly.

"When Derek came to proposition me he brought Erica and Isaac along. He knew he wasn't going to be able to get me to say yes without them. They had an energy about them, about how they interacted, you could just tell that they were close. Derek promised me a pack, people I could count on. I wanted that." Boyd picked up a purple v-neck and wondered if Isaac would like it. 

Danny bit the skin around one of his nails, letting Boyd's answer sink in. Boyd didn't turn werewolf for the power, or the popularity, he did it because he wanted to be part of a pack. 

"You're not useless," Boyd said. Danny gave him a look. "If that's the reason you're thinking of taking the bite." 

"No, it's not that. I know my worth, I'm not having a midlife crisis, I'm just...wondering. I'd normally ask Jackson about it, but he gets all growly and flashy eyed anytime I mention it."

"I noticed." Boyd stopped in front of a display of board shorts. He hated to perpetuate the cliche of 'werewolf in shorts with no t-shirt', but they were on sale and practical. Derek would approve. "He's just trying to protect you. You could be one of those people who reject the bite." 

Danny scratched the back of his neck, sighing. 

"I figured that's why he gets so protective."

"Er, that's not all of it," Boyd hinted, giving in and putting three more pairs of shorts in his arms. How was it that every time Erica took him shopping, he ended up partaking? 

"What do you mean?" Danny stopped walking. Boyd made a face.

"I know you don't have our noses, but even you can't mistake the look of pure longing on Jackson's face for his usual arrogant one? He wants you in a bad way," Boyd snorted, heading towards the cashier before he had time to see anything else. 

"That's what Lydia said, but I didn't believe her."

"His girlfriend tells you he's in love with you and you don't believe her?" Matchmaking wasn't Boyd's forte. He usually left that up to Erica, seeing as how she got that scary glint in her eye at the mere mention of a new relationship formation. In fact if he listened well enough, he could hear her creating one, right that very moment.

"Maybe I didn't want to believe her," Danny mumbled. 

"Now we're getting somewhere."

"I mean, how does it even work, with you and Erica and Peter?" 

Boyd was getting a little tired of that question. Still, Danny's scent pegged him as frazzled, all frayed nerves, and Boyd wasn't one to leave a packmate hanging. 

"Sharing is caring," Boyd shrugged, getting the laugh out of Danny he'd wanted. "Look, sometimes I'm not sure how it even works. I know for sure that Peter doesn't know, and that he probably doesn't care how, he rolls with it as much as we do. We've sort of fallen into this unnameable thing, but as long as we are all okay with it, it doesn't bother me so much that I don't know how. What are you really worried about?" Boyd grabbed his bag, and steered Danny to where he could hear the girls. 

"I don't want things to fall apart, what if we don't fit together and then what? It sounds stupid but I don't want to ruin our friendship." 

Boyd chuckled. 

"If all else fails, you'll still be pack. Broken things can be fixed, and it's better to break things when you have a pack of wolves at your back ready to put everything back together." 

Danny nodded, eyes slanting in interest as Erica and Lydia bounded into sight. They were arm in arm, laughing as they sauntered towards them. Boyd took one sniff and rolled his eyes at Erica. 

"I'd say I'm surprised, but I'm not. Tell me you at least made sure the other stalls were empty?" 

"If they weren't, we cleared them out in a hurry," Lydia gloated, delighting in Danny's look of shock. "Come on, I think we're done here," she disentangled herself from Erica, threading her arm around Danny's. 

"So? How was it?" Boyd asked. 

"Want to taste?" Erica whispered, pulling him in by his jacket, and quickly slipping her tongue into his mouth. She tasted like her own sweetness, and then like strawberry lipstick. He wanted to chase that taste but a pointed look from a sales worker told him they should relocate. Erica saw, and stuck her tongue out before grabbing Boyd by the arm and leading him away. When they were out of sight of the department store, he crowded her into a corner, sliding back into her mouth after that taste.

"She tastes a little like how I'd imagine licking an electric socket feels like," Erica said once Boyd had had his fill.

"Sizzling," Boyd supplied, hoping Lydia didn't want to stay out much longer. He wanted to get Erica someplace he could crawl into her. 

"Mmm, yeah. Sizzling."

*****

Derek zipped up his duffel bag just as Chris knocked on the doorframe. A futile gesture, the door was open and Derek had heard him before he reached it, but a polite one nonetheless. 

"Ready to end this?" Chris asked, arms folded over his chest. 

"I'm ready to go home," Derek answered. He was ready to be back with his pack. To be back with Isaac and Stiles. He never did have the taste for the hunt, not like his father did, or Peter. He'd much rather leave the thrill of killing to others. 

"Be nice to sleep in my own bed again," Chris agreed. 

"Mm," Derek hummed, knowing he was forgetting something. The motel room he shared with Mia and Penny had already been cleaned out by them; he was the last one. 

"Derek," he took a breath, "I just wanted to say thank you. For agreeing to go through this with me. Hunters are my responsibility, my problem. You didn't have to come along, but you did, and I appreciate it." 

"Hunters aren't just your problem. When anyone makes it their agenda to go after my pack, it becomes my problem. This was good, coming out here to do this, it's given other packs hope that they might be able to live without fear. I should be thanking you," Derek offered, rubbing a hand over his head trying to figure out where his cell phone charger was. 

"No, you don't...you don't ever have to thank me. Not for anything. Not after..." Chris trailed off, looking at the wall. Derek stilled. "I should have known," he whispered. "She was my sister and I should have known. I should have realized." 

Derek had heard apologies before, the townspeople offering their condolences, strangers he and his sister met on the road. None of them had sounded quite like this one. Chris Argent may not have said the words, but the sincerity was there just the same. Not trusting his voice, Derek nodded, hoping his face conveyed his gratitude. 

"Hey cutie, Penny accidentally packed your charger in her...and I'm interrupting something, I'll just leave it here," Mia burst in, tossing the charger on a side table. 

"You're not interrupting, we're done," Derek said as Chris untucked his arms, giving Mia space. 

"Oh, then we're almost ready to leave, come on, I'm ready to go home and fuck my mate into next year," Mia added, slapping Chris' jean clad ass on the way out. "Can't do that if you two slowpokes won't get in the car so we can finish this." 

"No wonder you two get along. She's like an older, female, version of Stiles," Chris glared, rubbing his affronted rear. 

Derek laughed, the first light-hearted one that Chris had produced, and followed the hunter to his car. 

*****

Allison looked over her shoulder for the twelfth time, turning back just in time to sidestep an upturned root. She couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched. She felt eyes on her, making her skin itch. Unable to ignore it anymore she dialed Peter. 

"What can I do for you Hunter Junior," Peter drawled, sounding sleep-rough. He was turning into a nocturnal werewolf as far as sleeping habits went. 

"Are you at home?" 

"You mean in your house?" 

"Yeah, that's what I said. Well, are you?"

"You said am I at, never mind, yes, I'm here, why did you forget your key? Because if you did I feel obligated to teach you how to break into your own house. You know, for training reasons." 

"No, I have my key, will you please just meet me at the door? I'll be there in five," Allison asked, exasperation leaking in her tone. 

"If I must," he responded, sounding very put-on. 

Allison hung up, putting on a little more speed, until she saw her house come into view. True to his word, Peter stood in the doorway, wearing sweatpants and no shirt. She had definitely caught him while he was sleeping. 

"Why am I greeting you at the door like an inane housewife?" Peter grumbled, looking over her head to see if she was getting chased by something.

"Housewives aren't inane," she countered, ushering him inside. 

"You're right poor phrasing. Why was I greeting you at the door like a housewife forced into stereotypical gender roles?"

"I felt like someone was watching me, I couldn't get away fast enough. I was hoping maybe you'd see something I didn't," she informed him, taking off her shoes.

"I did look, but so far as I saw, there wasn't anything there."

Allison sighed.

"I know I felt something. Maybe it was just deer," she frowned. "Sorry for waking you," she half-smiled in apology. Peter waved it away, following her up the stairs. She paused at the bathroom. "Ummm, I'm going to shower now."

"I'm aware." He set his back against the wall next to the bathroom door, sliding down so that he rested on the floor. 

"You don't have to do this, I'm fine, I swear. I just had a paranoid moment." 

"I'll be here when you get out," he assured, resting one arm on his leg and closing his eyes. She left the door open, knowing that he wouldn't peek. 

Peter was in a light doze when he heard the back door open. The gait was all wrong for a wolf, and he didn't recognize the shoes for one of his human packmates. He stood up gingerly, aware of all of the spots in the wood floor that creaked, or squeaked, or sighed. Taking a shortcut through Allison's room, he scaled down the house and around, so that he wound up behind the intruder. He crouched behind the marble counter top of the kitchen, listening to the heavy steps walk towards the front of the house. Upstairs, the water turned off. 

"So, I was thinking that we should go house hunting, or apartment hunting, whichever you prefer. I have it on pretty good authority that you've yet to find a place that you deem suitable. I think that was Erica's fancy talk for you being difficult with the lease owners. If I tag along I bet I could swindle you a great deal. You probably don't need help swindling anybody out of anything. I could lend support in some other form." Allison wrung her hair of water, wrapping a towel around herself. Peter didn't answer. "You probably don't want me tagging along. I get it, I just thought maybe you'd want the company. Except that you very rarely want company. Now that I'm really thinking this through, this was a terrible idea." Odd, Peter usually 'hmm-ed' in her direction when she talked to him.

"Peter?" She peeked out the side of the door, finding empty space where she expected a stubborn wolf. A chill went down her spine. "Peter?" She called a little louder. Gun shot answered it, followed by a snarl that sent her into action. She ran out of the bathroom, one hand holding her towel and the other steadying her so that she could slide down the bannister. She followed Peter's furious growls to the living room, pausing briefly to arm herself with a large hunting knife she'd hidden inside a lamp. 

Peter was holding down a man Allison had never seen before. His claws were out, pressing against the man's throat in an eerily familiar way.

"I was going to kill him, but I didn't know if you knew him," Peter rumbled, teeth too long to be human. "Do you know him?" He lifted up the man's head so Allison could get a good look at his face. 

"No, I've never seen him before, not in my dad's circles, or my mom's."

"Can I kill him then?" 

It was a fair question, this man had trespassed, had stalked her for miles, maybe for days. It was a miracle that Peter hadn't torn this man apart for shooting at him.

"Wait, wait! Your father said for me to say strawberry toaster strudel. Strawberry toaster strudel!" The man yelped as Peter shook him by the neck. 

"Is he deranged?" Peter asked. Allison look of shock said otherwise.

"My dad sent you?" Anger started to creep into her voice. "Why? Why would he send you, a hunter I don't know?" 

The man took too longer to answer, so Peter shook him again. 

"To watch you, to watch your house, and protect you from any werewolf threats. I found this one in your house, but it seems you two know each other." 

"He's my packmate, and my guest. You had no right to come into my house. No right to follow me," Allison told him. 

"I was asked by your father to see to your well being as a favor to him," the man spat out.

"That's nice, but I'm well taken care of as you can see." Allison pointed to Peter.

"Yes, the hunter-let has her very own guard dog, and I don't listen well to heel," Peter growled.

"If we let you go will you leave the town?" Allison asked.

"But your father-"

"Is not the matriarch of this family! I am. You're just soldiers blindly following orders, and this time you're following the wrong ones. I'm not asking, I'm telling you to leave. If you don't I'll come after you myself." Allison realized that this little speech would be more intimidating if she wasn't just clad in a fuzzy purple bath towel. "While you're at it, give me the name of your own matriarch, I'm sure she'd be interested to know about your breaking and entering." 

The hunter's sour face glared at her, changing into a grimace when Peter's claws nicked the skin at the back of his neck.

"Opaline West."

"Great, now you'll be on your way." Allison made a dismissive gesture with her hand, and as she did Peter backed off of the hunter, allowing the man to walk out. "Is he gone?" She whispered. Peter nodded, took a step forward and slumped to the ground. "Peter?!"

"Don't yell, I'm not going deaf. It's just a little wolfsbane, his knives were dipped in it." 

"Just a little wolfsbane?" She scoffed. "What kind? Do we need to call Stiles?" She searched his chest for any wounds but couldn't see any. Circling him she saw the two slashes on his left shoulder. 

"Just the usual standard," he groaned holding up a hand to block the light from his vision. 

"Okay, stay here, I have some powdered stock in my room." She bolted up the stairs, dropping her towel once in her room. She grabbed her robe to put on, then rustled through her desk drawers until she found the vial of wolfsbane and a lighter. 

"Alright, here," she tried to keep the trembling out of her throat. She set the powder on fire, on top of a glass coaster. Peter inhaled it quickly, hissing in pain. Allison watched in fascination as black ooze leaked from his wounds. "Are you going to be okay?" She held out her hand to help him up. 

"Better once I've passed out," he rumbled, heading to the guest bathroom. She left him to go to the garage, and he found her outside his room holding a large crossbow. She followed him into his room, and set herself against the headboard while he lay down on his side. "This is unnecessary, I just need to sleep." 

She slid an arrow into the crossbow. 

"I'm aware. I'll be here when you wake up." 

Peter huffed, saving his argument for when his head didn't feel like splitting open. He fell asleep with an armed hunter in his bed, her eyes trained on the door. 

Allison allowed herself to relax once Peter's breathing had evened out. She took out her cell phone to text everyone what had happened, and then to send a strongly worded text to her dad. She'd have to call him later, when she wouldn't disturb Peter's sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chompers: Is Derek's nickname for Erica  
> Catwoman: Is Stiles' nickname for Erica  
> Were-Erica: Is Allison's nickname for Erica  
> erika: Is Scott's nickname for Erica
> 
> Erica's nicknames for her packmates:  
> Big Bad Wolf- Derek  
> Scotty Wolf- Scott  
> Lil Hunter- Allison  
> Batman- Stiles


	13. When The Wolves Come Marching Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Derek and Chris are on their way home much to the pack's delight. Unfortunately they're not the only ones headed the same way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of let me just say thank you all for waiting patiently, this past month has been full of unexpected hardships. This is the final chapter before the epilogue (so really one more chapter before it's done), there's no warnings for this chapter except maybe a bit gore, like a wee bit. Not to worry the sex scenes I didn't put in here will be plopped in Behind the Scenes (I'm behind on smutty goodness I know, alas it'll get done just slowly). Thank you all again for waiting, for commenting, and for all of your encouragements. 
> 
> As always, thanks to my lovely beta: StefanyD

"The wolfsbane hit him harder than he wants to admit," Allison confided, picking through the new clothes Lydia bought. 

"It's hard healing when you're a zombie werewolf," Lydia said, tossing Allison a leather handbag. "That's for you." 

"Yes, because her own impressive array of purses isn't good enough," Jackson rolled his eyes, setting down cups of hot chocolate for them. 

"And who owns more than thirty belts? Uh huh, I thought so," Lydia answered herself, watching Jackson's forehead develop furrows. "There's always room for more if you ask me." 

"Thanks, this is gorgeous," Allison opened up the bag to see how many pockets it had. "Erica's worried about him too, she tries to hide it but she's been over the house more. Boyd as well." 

"I'm sure this is all very interesting to someone who isn't me. Spill, what do you want?" 

"I was hoping you'd look into it for me. He should be healed by now, and he's not. Maybe whatever magic he used to bring himself back could help figure out why he isn't well." Allison bit her lip.

"Why would I know anything about that? I was just the catalyst for him." Lydia flounced over to her closet, grabbed a few hangers and started slipping clothes onto them. Allison stared pleadingly, her brown eyes going wide. Lydia tried to ignore her, sorting her clothes by style and color. Minutes went by. Jackson moved over a pile of clothes and laid back against silk pillows. Lydia wavered, taking a quick look over at Allison's best puppy dog face.

"Fine, I'll look into it just this once," she told Allison, gathering up the last bit of new clothes she had to put away. 

"Thanks, you're the best." 

"I know," Lydia smiled.

"I got an interesting text from Erica the other day," Allison hinted. She picked up her cup of hot chocolate, blowing on it before taking a sip.

"Oh?" Lydia asked turning her eyes to Jackson. He looked her up and down, remembering the exhausting sex they had had after Lydia and Erica's impromptu make-out. He'd lost their wager, but that evening and next morning made up for it. 

"She asked if she could make-out with Isaac. I said yes, of course, and so did my co-mates, Stiles' word for us. I feel like I should feel weird about it, but at this point I don't see the difference in any of us making-out with each other." 

"Isaac wasn't the only one she scored with this week," Lydia gloated. Allison's eyebrows shot up towards her hairline. She turned to see Jackson's reaction. He smirked.

"I already knew. They apparently commandeered a changing stall, and nearly got thrown out of the store by security." Jackson closed his eyes remembering how Lydia smelled of Erica, how he tasted Erica on her collarbone, tracing the scent path of Erica's lips. He guessed Lydia thought the same thing by the lemon tinged air. Allison swiveled on the bedspread to face Jackson, mischief sparking in her eyes.

"When are you going to ask Danny out already?" Allison grinned, tugging on his shirt. He glared accusingly at Lydia.

"You told?!" 

"Of course, it's just Allison, it's not like I told Stiles," Lydia said nonchalantly while Jackson fumed. 

"I would've found out eventually anyway, unless you're planning on making your move after the next ice age," Allison giggled. The sound of it softened Jackson's furrowed eyebrows. 

"I'm just waiting for the perfect moment," he defended himself. 

"I suppose I can't argue with that. It took me forever to detail out that particular shopping trip," Lydia pointed out, shutting her closet door. 

"I can't wait until Derek gets back," Allison confided. "I think once he comes home, it's going to be a free for all relationship orgy." 

"Perve," Jackson fake coughed, making them laugh. 

"While I agree that when Derek gets back, we're all going to have to have a nice pack sit down and talk this out, who says we can't have a preview of things to come," Lydia added, her tone turning coy. In a fluid movement, she straddled Jackson, who let out a surprised huff. 

"Uh Lydia..." Jackson started, stopping when she put her hand against his throat. His head tilted back automatically, baring the column of his neck for her. 

"Yes, Jackson?" She started making small motions with her hips, teasingly soft against his jeans. Though her hand was on his throat, and her legs bracketed his, though her free hand scrapped nails lightly down his side, her eyes focused on Allison. Allison, who looked as though she was having trouble remembering to breath, stared transfixed. 

"Allison's still here," he managed to say. He felt blood rush to his groin, his hips jerking when Lydia pressed down. She wore a skirt that managed to conceal his hard-on and flash cream colored thighs. 

"Then we'd better give her a good show," Lydia whispered still loud enough that Allison heard. The sound of Lydia sucking on Jackson's tongue, and the following moan, jolted Allison out of her daze. 

What was she doing? She couldn't just watch them have sex, she needed to, oh God, was that a whimper? 

"You guys just, yeah, I'm going to leave, there's suddenly something very pressing I need to, oh wow," Allison said hurriedly, half falling off the bed in her attempt to flee the room. She closed the door behind her, but not in time for her to miss the high pitched whine that strained out of Jackson. Her heart racing, blood pulsing in her clit, she almost tripped on the last step of the stairs trying to leave. She slid into her car, punching in Derek's number on her car console. 

"Hey," he answered after the fourth ring. 

"I need to ask you something and it's embarrassing, and I feel stupid asking but I have to know, okay?" She put her foot on the gas pedal, hoping to reach Scott's house soon.

"Um, okay. Are you alright? You sound a little shaken," Derek said, getting a raised eyebrow from Chris who sat in the driver's seat next to him. 

"I'm fine. Can I have sex with Stiles? Would that be okay?" Allison asked, causing Derek to drop the phone in hopes that Chris hadn't heard her loud voiced question. By the sudden frown forming on the hunter's face Derek could only guess that he'd heard something. "Derek? I know this isn't tactful, but I can't get over this crush I have on him. It's driving me nuts, and I know that Scott knows. He has to know. I don't want to be that person who regrets not asking and always wondering what if? Derek?"

"Could we talk about this later, I'm in the car with your father and-"

"What's wrong? Does she need to talk with me?" Chris asked, waving his hand at Derek.

"No, I'll explain later," Derek said, batting Chris' hand away. They slapped each other's hands for a few moments, ineffectually motioning with them, before they realized what they were doing and stopped.

"No! I'll chicken out if I have to wait for later. Please, Derek, just tell me no so that I can let go. I just need to have you tell me no," she growled, swerving around a car going ten miles above the speed limit. 

"Are you driving?! Allison pull over," he ordered, waiting until he heard her shut her car off. Chris' hardened stare made Derek want to melt into the seat. "I'm not going to tell you no. I know things are changing, I can feel them even though I'm not there. It feels right, whole in a way we haven't been. It makes us stronger. I'm not going to tell you no. I'm going to tell you yes, yes to Stiles if he wants to. My mates are yours," Derek told her, not looking at Chris. Nope don't look at the hunter, just stare at the cows going by, he thought.

"You're saying yes?" Allison asked, not believing him.

"Yes, Allison. Now, I'm hanging up," Derek informed her, doing so before she could say anything back. 

"What was that about?" Chris asked, gritting his teeth. 

"I'll let her tell you. Let's just say that things won't be the same when we get home."

Allison pealed down the street towards the McCall house, she didn't want to waste anymore time.

*****

To: Lil Red

2:31pm

Allison's headed your way. She asked me if she could have sex with you. I said yes if you wanted to. Just thought you should know.

Stiles spit soda all over the coffee table he'd been resting his feet on. Scott passed him paper towels with his concerned puppy look while Isaac patted his back as he coughed.

"Dude, are you okay?" Scott asked, wiping down the old table.

Stiles coughed some more and held up his phone for them to see.

"Straight and to the point, sounds just like Derek," Isaac said unfazed. Scott just beamed at him.

"Why are you giving me that look?" Stiles asked, creeped out by Scott's calmness. He turned his phone around to make sure he was holding out the right text.

"It's just, this time I knew, and I never know, but I knew this time. She's into you."

"And...you're okay with that?" 

"We've shared everything else in our lives, even this one," Scott pulled Isaac into a one armed hug, "What's one more?" 

"Yeah, but, this is Allison. She-"

"Wants to ride you until your eyes roll back into your head," Isaac stated, tapping his nose.

"And then give you about two minutes to recover before she wants to do it again, because that's sort of her style," Scott added. 

"And just when you think you're done, nope look, there's round four," Isaac continued, enjoying Stiles' open mouthed stare.

"I sort of feel like a jackass though for even thinking about it," Stiles confessed. 

"That's how I felt when I finally figured out I liked Isaac," Scott said, nosing against Isaac's ear. 

"Ugh, I wish Derek was here so that I could freak out all over him. Instead we have to have all of our important conversations over text since that one accidental phone sex attempt with Allison's dad in the car." 

"Should we put the movie on pause then? Sounds sort of like she's going to be here any minute," Isaac suggested, turning his head quickly to nip Scott on the nose before getting up. 

"You know we're going to have to talk about this eventually. This can't keep happening by chance, where we sort of just fall into relationships," Stiles pointed out. 

To: Sourwolf

we r havn a huge talk when u get back. right after all the sex we hav to make up for

"I don't know, it's been working out pretty well so far," Scott pointed out as he scratched his nose. 

"Yeah but-"

A screech of wheels halted Stiles' sentence. 

"Go for it dude," Scott encouraged. Stiles mouth opened in disbelief. 

Allison charged in, hair whipping around her face. 

"Scott we need to talk...oh I didn't know everyone was here." She hesitated, flustered at finding Isaac and Stiles there as well. 

"What do you need to talk about?" Scott asked, grinning so widely that Isaac barely contained a sudden giggle. 

"Why are you smiling like that?" Allison asked, sensing the strangeness in the room. 

"No, uh, particular reason. So, talking?" He tried to hide his smile behind a hand, but his eyes were betraying him. 

Allison surveyed the three of them, Scott's peculiarity (well more so than normal anyway), Isaac trying to keep his face straight, and Stiles avoiding any and all eye contact. 

"Derek texted didn't he?" She watched three pairs of guilty eyes slide over to where Stiles' phone lay on the table. Her face flushed with embarrassment. Scott went to her, goofy smile still hung on his lips.

"Why didn't you just tell me?" He asked, scenting the swirl of her emotions. She stared at his feet, feeling her blush all the way down into her heels.

"It's Stiles," she stressed, trying to convey all her hesitation over getting in between them. 

"Yeah I know, and I think Stiles is great. Now, you think Stiles is so great you want to have sex with him, that's awesome," Scott told her. 

"You're so weird," she whispered, grabbing him into a hug. She watched Isaac stand up and slink against Scott's back. She felt the rolling motion of a full body nuzzle through Scott's body, and Scott's surprised rumble. 

"Go on, you guys can have the bedroom if Stiles can get out of his stupor, and I'll keep this one occupied down here," Isaac grinned, his hands snaking through Scott's arms and around his chest. 

"My mom gets off work in two hours," Scott said as Allison practically ran over to grab Stiles' hand. 

"Come on, that's barely going to be enough time," she smiled at Stiles' stunned expression.

"Wait, I think I've heard that somewhere before..." Stiles trailed off.

"He has no idea what he's in for," Scott smirked, letting Isaac guide them back to the couch. 

"Neither do you," Isaac growled, and then enjoyed Scott's squeak at being tossed down onto the cushions. 

*****

"I like this one, we'll take it," Erica said, sinking deeper into the plush love-seat. 

"It’s purple," Peter pointed out, closing his eyes to lean his head back against a black one seater.

"This one's okay," Allison offered, patting the muddy red couch she was on. "Not very good for claws though, the material would tear like tissue paper." Though it was soft, the velvety couch probably wasn't going to be Peter's pick. 

"What's wrong with purple?" Boyd asked, as he was jostled from all of Erica's wiggling.

"We can't get the purple if we get the gold curtains, they'll clash," Peter grumbled, settling more into his pick. A perfect one seater. Just right for his one bedroom apartment that he'd finally picked with Allison that morning. It was a delightful little loft that would contain all of his single-ness nicely. Unfortunately, he forgot about the she-wolf and her powers of persuasion. Which is how he wound up furniture shopping with not only her, but Boyd and Allison as well. "It's either the gold curtains or the purple couch, which do you want more?" Peter asked, and then marveled that somehow his opinion on the matter wasn't the one he wanted. He actually cared what Erica thought on something that he was going to have to live with. He was going to have to see her influence in his space every day. When had this happened? She and Boyd shared a look.

"Purple couch," they said together. Allison tilted her head at him in question, to which he waved a hand. She made note of the couch's number in the notebook she had been carrying around. 

"Should we look at beds next?" Allison asked.

"Sure, why not?" Peter asked the universe. The girls went in search of what was probably going to be a bed big enough to accommodate more than just him. He was going to get this chair though, it was caressing him in all the right places, and sturdy enough that should Erica insist on sitting on him, it shouldn't break. Huh, there he was again, putting her into his picture.

"You okay?" Boyd asked, picking apart the different scents that were rolling off of him.

"Peachy. I'm getting this chair." He closed his eyes and sunk into it a little more. God, but he was sore.

Boyd took note of the chair's number. He also noted the way Peter's lips could almost curl into a grimace, and the strained way in which his fingers gripped the armrests. Bracing himself for a snarl and possible claw marks, Boyd placed his hand over Peter's, leeching pain away. Peter's eyes shot open, his hand clenching into the chair before relaxing. The relief was visible on his usually unreadable face. He looked as if he wanted to say something, but couldn't find the words.

"It's no big deal. Just don't tell our girl okay? She'll try and get us to make-out," Boyd told him. Peter shrugged like that wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing. "Don't even think about it, I know I'm fine, but I don't swing that way. I love you, but no, not even. Come on, let's get over to the beds before they pick out something that clashes with everything else we've picked." And with that Boyd left him there, stunned. The girls picked out a four poster bed, large enough to comfortably fit six. Peter didn't mind at all.

*****

"It's almost too-"

"No! Fuck, don't say that, don't even think it. What's wrong with you do you want to jinx us into oblivion?!" Stiles yelled, squeezing his phone just a tad too hard between his hand and his ear. He heard Derek's long suffering sigh. 

"Stiles, it just doesn't seem right. This was supposed to be the last, you know, hurrah. We eliminated low level personnel but other than that the place was empty."

"Sooo, what I'm hearing is you're upset because there wasn't a huge battle like you were expecting? Way to look the gift wolf in the mouth."

"That's not it even a little bit and you know it," Derek groaned, rubbing his free hand over his face. Next to him Chris fiddled with the radio station.

"I know, but I don't want to think about the other implications. Does this mean you're coming home? You're coming home right?" Stiles bounced excitedly on his toes.

"Yes, we're driving back now and-" Derek winced as Stiles' deafening whoop of joy blasted over the phone. 

Chris raised an eyebrow at him. 

"Stiles, my ears," Derek reminded, turning the volume down on his phone. 

"Sorry, just, yes thank God," Stiles breathed. "Man, I can't wait, think of all the sex, Derek. Derek...all. the. sex." 

Derek hoped his ears weren't turning red. He turned his head towards the window in hopes that Chris couldn't hear him over the terrible country music playing. 

"I'd rather not right now," Derek said.

"I've missed your abs, your beautiful, sculpted by the gods abs. And your eyebrows, and your fingers when they are-"

"Uh huh, missed you too, see you soon," Derek rushed out and then hung up. Chris raised an eyebrow but wisely chose to say nothing. 

***** 

"No, don't get that one, that one smells like cat piss," Jackson said, his nose wrinkling in distaste. Danny pulled his hand back from the wall of detergent they were facing. Stiles had put them all on a rotation for laundry, and it was his and Jackson's turn that week. Jackson had grumbled about it initially, but Stiles had pulled rank. Danny figured he'd help Jackson out, seeing how he only left emergency clothes at Stiles' house. His parents actually kept track of where he was for the most part.

"I may be pack mom, but the fuck if I'm folding another shirt for the next five weeks at least," Stiles had yelled at them from the laundry room. It was a pack agreement that missing Derek made Stiles cranky. Although, Stiles had probably done enough laundry to keep them in fresh smelling clothes for a year, and that picking up the slack wouldn't be that big of a hardship. Danny had heard through the wolfvine that Erica planned to take her loads to the laundromat and have them do it for her, while Lydia would tote her week's worth to her house and put it in with her clothes to have the maid do it. 

"The ones with rain in the title are usually okay," Jackson commented, folding his arms across his chest. 

"Looks like they are all out of rain ones, how about, oh, well, probably not the citrus ones. I don't like the orchid ones, they smell like concentrated flower perfume. How about fresh breeze?" Danny asked, picking out a medium sized bottle. "Jacks-mmffph!" Danny was suddenly, and quite forcefully, pushed against the shelves with Jackson's mouth pressed into his. He took ten seconds to be stunned, and then he pushed back into the wolf, making a little noise he'd later be embarrassed about. Jackson was warm, and he smelled like aftershave. The absurdity of where they were made itself known to Danny. He started laughing, the detergent still in his hands. 

"What?" Jackson asked disgruntled, but fond.

"Now? You choose now as your moment? I'm holding detergent, we're in a Target," Danny pointed out. 

"It's the perfect moment, the lighting in here is great, and you were unsuspecting," Jackson rationalized. "Will you go out with me, tomorrow night?" He asked, eyes bright but unsure. He still had Danny's hips in his hands but he'd pulled far enough back to ask him.

Danny nodded, not trusting his voice to embarrass him further. Jackson smiled, wide and trusting, the only type of smile Danny had seen a handful of times before. This is right, he thought as Jackson took the detergent from him, sauntering away to the cashier. He could already hear Lydia's 'I told you so', ringing in his ears.

*****

"I've never seen you this jittery before," Chris said, breaking the hour silence Derek had been using to calm himself from the excitement of returning home. They had just crossed the border of Derek's territory.

"Sorry," Derek muttered, stilling the leg he'd been bouncing. He almost smiled, realizing he must've picked up the habit from Stiles. Stiles, and Isaac, and God even Jackson, he was grateful to be going back. 

"It's not bothering me, it's just amusing. You really missed them."

"Don't tell them, they'll be insufferable." 

Chris laughed, a gruff sound like it surprised him. 

"Mm, I wouldn't know, the only ones I really know are the one that I created, and Scott a little. And Stiles, it's kind of hard not to run into him where werewolves are concerned in this town."

"Yeah, I know that feeling."

"I might, want to try, if that's all right with you. Getting to know them," Chris said in a way that Derek knew he was asking.

"Allison would like that, and I wouldn't mind. I never wanted to estrange anyone from their families." 

"No, I did the estranging perfectly by myself. This is the family that Allison has chosen, and I'd like to be a part of that." 

"Of course." Derek rolled the window down, hoping that Chris would catch his subtle hint that talking right now was making his anxiousness worse. The cool breeze brought in familiar scents of his forest, warmed dirt, redwood trees, the clean scent of the creek, raccoon poop...huh he could've done without that one, and the- what the fuck? Derek rolled the window the rest of the way down, leaning almost out of it and taking a deep breath.

"You know, I'd never stoop that low, but um, you're making the dog jokes just a little easier to think." 

"Pull over," he growled, claws sprouting from his hands. 

"What's wrong?"

"It's Stiles!" Derek demanded, going to open the door.

"Okay, alright," Chris agreed, stopping and watching Derek as he tore out of the car, disappearing into the forest. "Well, fuck." 

*****

He was running, sprinting, chasing the scent of Stiles' blood. He wasn't going fast enough, still too far away to even hear his mate, still too far away. Fear settled into his bones like an old friend, reminding him of what he could lose again. He'd taken for granted that they were untouchable, and now he would pay the price. A surge of something in his arms made him trip, barely catching himself from eating dirt. A ripple seared down his spine, twisting deeper within him, calling to a part of him that was breaking free. 

"Stiles," he whined, before he lost all speech.

*****

"Scott! Kids!" Melissa yelled as she pulled the Stilinski's door open, a door that had multiple arrows jutting out of it. Her tennis shoes crunched on glass as she walked into the living room. 

"Mom!" Scott ran to her, arms wrapping her in a huge hug. 

"What the hell happened in here?" She asked once Scott had let her go. She looked around the room, taking in a silent headcount and noting that Chris and Derek were back. The coffee table and couch were up against the windows, both looking as though they'd need to be replaced. The windows were cracked, splintered, and in most places completely shattered. The glass had been swept to the sides of the room, leaving enough space for the pack to curl up in the middle. The Sheriff and Chris sat on chairs brought in from the kitchen. Everyone looked haggard, but as far as she could tell, everyone looked okay. 

"We were waiting for you so that they could tell us. I only caught the tail end, but it looks like the hunters decided to stage a final execution," John said, gesturing to an empty chair next to him. 

"Well?" She prompted, sitting down and looking inquiringly at Stiles.

"My part isn't the first part of the story, Scott you go first," Stiles said, leaning back against a newly showered Derek. Scott looked over at Allison who shook her head.

"I'll tell it," she announced as Scott settled back into her side. "This is what happened," she started.

*****

"When were they supposed to be getting back?" Jackson asked, flipping through one of Stiles' comics.

"Soon, I think, Lydia's not going to want to stay there past dark," Allison answered, sharpening one of her knives. She was almost done with the collection she kept at Stiles' house, she just had the throwing knives to go. Placing a pair of daggers back into their waist sheaths, she unrolled a set of throwing knives. It had been a lazy day, a perfect day to make sure all of her weapons were in working order. 

"I don't see why they had to bring Peter, whatever Lydia chooses-"

"Done! Oh fuck yes, done!" Danny exclaimed, both hands in the air. He whirled around in Stiles' computer chair, happiness brimming in him.

"You finished the site?" Scott asked, raising his head from the pillows where he had been napping. He went to stretch but found that somehow his legs had gotten tangled in Jackson's.

"Finally, finally. Now, all we have to do is make sure Derek approves and we can launch, but yeah it's done." Danny stretched, yawning wide. He thought about going down to rummage in the fridge for something to snack on, running on coffee for eight hours probably wasn't healthy. Though, Isaac was downstairs cooking stuffed pasta shells. The darkening sky said that they'd be eating soon. Maybe he'd just slide in next to Jackson and pass out. 

"They aren't back yet?" Boyd asked, trailing Erica into the room. He sat behind Allison on the floor, leaned his chin on her head to watch her as she cleaned, and wrapped one hand around her middle.

"No, they aren't," Jackson answered as if he were personally offended by their tardiness.

"I'm sure they're taking longer because Lydia and Peter are arguing over noxious color choices," Danny tried to soothe him, offering a smile. Jackson's growly snarl told of his unease. He didn't like Lydia near Peter more than was necessary. 

"Scotty wolf," Erica rumbled as she wriggled her way under his arm and tucked herself in the nook of his neck. 

"Noooo, you smell like sex," Scott whined but didn't push her away. Actually, she smelled pleasing, and inviting, his wolf surfacing to answer the claim that Boyd had covered her in. He usually ignored his instincts to scent mark packmates that weren't his mates. Other than Stiles, he kept his scenting to himself. Maybe it was time to give in a little, to make peace with his instincts. Allison wouldn't mind, heh, she really wouldn't, and neither would Isaac. Taking a deep breath, he nosed under her chin, rubbing his face against her neck. The loudest purr Erica had ever made echoed into the room. She titled her head as far back as she could without getting a neck crick and squirmed in delight.

"Ugh gross," Jackson commented, getting up and leaving. Isaac at least would let him brood in silence. No, not brood...contemplate. Yes, if anyone asked, which he hoped they didn't, he was contemplating. 

"Hey Jackson, what's up?" Isaac asked amiably, stirring his homemade marinara sauce. 

"Nothing, just contemplating," he snarled, plopping down into a kitchen chair. 

"Alrighty then." Isaac turned back to his sauce. He hoped the others got back soon, dinner was almost done. He was about to offer to make some tea for Jackson, perhaps some calming tea, when an unsettling feeling lumped into his stomach. It took him aback and he whirled to see an alarmed expression on Jackson's face.

"It's Stiles. Lydia?"

"Yeah I-," Jackson caught a glint of something moving outside and lunged for Isaac. He toppled them to the floor just as an arrow sunk deep into the cabinet where his head had been. 

"My sauce!" Isaac cried forlornly, covering his and Jackson's eyes. The bolt flashed a blinding light and they could hear arrows going through the windows upstairs. 

"Come on," Isaac growled, eyes flickering gold. He grabbed Jackson's hand, hauling him up and behind him to the stairs just in time to see a hunter burst through the cracked window. She whipped out a baton that crackled with electricity. Oh great, Isaac thought. 

Upstairs, Scott and Allison had shared a brief incredibly loquacious look after an arrow thudded into Stiles' wall. (oh shit is that what I think it is, and, yes it is please cover your eyes this time unlike the last time okay? what do you mean like the last time Alli? you mean the time you and your aunt tried to murder me? is this really the time to be bringing that up and I meant that time during training when you went blind for a half hour, oh yeah that really sucked) 

"Cover your eyes!" Allison yelled, closing hers and listening to the ensuing burst of light. "Danny, get down and call the Sheriff," she ordered, picking up her throwing knives. "How many?" She asked, fitting her back next to the window. 

"I don't know I can't hear anything, that's not good," Boyd answered. 

"Hold on, let me take a peek," Danny said, going over to the window and quickly looking out. Boyd pulled him back, three more arrows flying in. Danny groaned. "They have a magic user, he's blocking the sound out, and it looks like he's...huh breaking the wards possibly?" Danny peered out while Allison threw knives to cover him. She whirled away as they counter fired. 

"Looks like maybe four hunters, it was five but I got one. Plus the magic user. Why would he break down the wards though, Stiles put those in place for alphas." 

"What the fuck is that?" Erica growled, taking her turn at looking out. She noted that the hunters were trying to get in through the living room. However, it was the large foaming at the mouth alpha that caught her attention. It's eyes were a sickly green, glowing and weeping. It's bones jutted out from sparsely furred skin. It bared rotted teeth that still looked sharp. What a nightmare. "They have an alpha, that's why, they're trying to get it in," she told them. A yelp from downstairs caught her attention. 

"Go, you two, help them, we'll try to hold the alpha off," Scott ordered Boyd and her. She gave a brief nod and then tore out of the room towards Jackson and Isaac, Boyd right behind her.

"Okay, Sheriff has been alerted, but there's been a huge crash and it's going to take him longer to get here. Look, if I can tap into their cell phones, I can work an immobilizing spell into them," Danny told them.

"You can do that?" Scott asked, wincing as another exploding arrow went off downstairs.

"Yeah, Deaton's been teaching me techno magic, it works the best for me. Besides, even powerful magic users will still carry cell phones. He probably has it in his pocket," Danny shrugged, his fingers flying over the keyboard of his laptop.

"Okay, game plan. Danny get into the bathroom and stay there, Scott go downstairs and help them out, I'm going to the Sheriff's room. He has two cartridges of wolfsbane bullets, and I have a feeling we are going to need them. Alright then," Allison said as she put her waist sheath on complete with daggers. They followed her out and dispersed to their areas, leaving her to raid the Sheriff's gun cabinet.

It wouldn't be the first time Allison had been in the Sheriff's gun cabinet. Stiles told her that his dad liked to hide the key under the flower pot on his dresser. Stiles had painted that flower pot when he was eight and his dad had never gotten rid of it. An odd sounding pop occurred as she moved the pot and grabbed the key. A rabid growl slinked down her spine, causing her to spin on her feet. The alpha had one clawed arm through the window and was attempting another. Drool pooled from its jaws. Impatience set in, and it broke through the window, spreading glass and wood onto the floor. She couldn't let it pass her, if it got to Danny, they weren't going to make it. It watched her edge towards the door, its growl reaching roar status. Her foot toed the door shut, locking it in with her. The click of the lock spurred it into a lunge, and Allison stood her ground, both hands on her daggers. 

When Scott had gone downstairs he immediately tuned into the movements of his packmates. This wasn't the same pack he had fought with against the Alpha pack. No, this pack was different, they were closer, they were stronger. What had seemed like inane bonding sessions, and training days, had paid off. They flowed, using each other to distract and disable four seasoned hunters. By the time they threw the last hunter out into the lawn unconscious, the only injury worth mentioning had been a stab wound Boyd sustained but quickly healed. Pride welled up in Scott, and was soon replaced with exasperation as a strange pop told him the wards went down.

"Shit," Scott growled, turning to see an alpha charge towards the living room windows. His packmates spread out on either side of him, letting it go for him so they could tear into its back. It raised giant paws to claw at him. He dodged, rolling under it and sinking his claws deep into its' belly. It pulled him off, tossing him into a bookshelf. Bucking like a horse, it tried to roll the betas off of it, snarling and spitting frothy drool. "The spine, go for the spine," Scott croaked, attracting its attention back to him. It was a half a foot away, jaws opened wide, and suddenly its face exploded into a spray of blood. It crashed to the floor in a mess of bone and blood. Scott turned to see Chris Argent on the other side of the window that they had barred. He nodded at Scott and then went around to the front door. 

"Magic user is down, and oh, wow, never mind you guys got it," Danny said after running down the stairs with his laptop in his hands. Chris stepped in, looking around at the damage.

"Allison!" He bellowed, seeing that she wasn't among them. 

"Dad!" A startled reply came before he saw her step down the stairs. Blood coated the front of her shirt and her arms. She threw herself into his arms. Chris held her for a minute before stepping back and looking pointedly at her hands.

"Oh, that's nothing, just some alpha blood is all. I did get scratched a little, but they aren't deep," she said, twisting to show him three slashes across her back. 

"Nothing is just some alpha blood?" 

"All in a day's work," she grinned, making him shake his head. 

"I thought Derek would be here, he tore out of the car and I assumed he would be on his way here," Chris told them. 

"Stiles is with Peter and Lydia at the Hale house," Isaac said, shivering his wolf form away. "Jackson and I felt their panic earlier but I don't anymore, so maybe they didn't get attacked as hard as we did," Isaac offered. 

"Here, let me pull up Stiles' phone tracker," Danny said. He sat down on the stairs, realizing that every piece of furniture had been broken. "Looks like he's headed this way, so they must be okay." 

Jackson quirked his head to the side listening to the sirens getting louder as the police turned down their street. 

"How are we going to explain this?" Erica asked, nudging the dead alpha with her foot.

"Mountain lions," everyone answered, the ensuing laughter deflating their nerves.

*****

"And that's when you burst in, clean-up happened, Lydia, Peter, Stiles, and Derek came in shortly after that, and here we are," Allison ended the story. 

"I want to hear what happened with you guys though, because when Derek came back he wasn't, oof-" Jackson grunted as Derek elbowed him.

"Derek wasn't what?" Melissa asked, looking at the obviously embarrassed alpha.

"I wasn't exactly myself," Derek mumbled as Stiles scoffed.

"You were exactly yourself, your beautiful fluffy self," Stiles told him. "I guess my part of the story is up."

"I'll tell it," Lydia offered, "You'll probably leave something important out. While the rest of the pack was here, we were up at the Hale house discussing color palettes," she began.

***** 

"Peter, there's no reason to add a wing on, we don't even have enough people to fill all of the rooms as it is," Stiles yelled with his arms in the air. Lydia contained her eighteenth sigh, shifting her weight in annoyance. Peter demanded, Stiles rebuffed, Peter snarked, Stiles dripped sarcasm, Peter tried diplomacy, Stiles feigned retreat, it was all getting rather tiresome. If Lydia wanted to hear back and forth nonsense she'd just tune in whenever Jackson and Scott were around each other. She expected better of these two, but she sensed that any minute it was going to turn into hair pulling and scratching each other's faces. Pathetic. 

"Why can't we just leave it as is with an option for expansion later on? Why does this need to be discussed right now? We were supposed to be choosing color swatches, which is the only reason why I wanted to talk about it next to the actual house," Lydia pointed out. The sun had begun to sink behind the trees and what little light they had left she knew wasn't going to be spent talking about color palettes. 

"Because it's-"

"AHHHHH!!!" Stiles bellowed, cutting Peter off and refusing to let him speak. "I'm beyond done, we're done. Let's grab something to eat and go back to my place. The others should be there by now."

Peter looked as if another argument was about to breach his lips, but the look Lydia shot him effectively stopped it. "Wait," Peter said, head tilting.

"Oh no, I'm not going to get tricked into staying any longer," Stiles groused.

"No, I think we aren't the only ones out here tonight."

"Ours or-"

"Not ours. Call them," he urged, eyes flashing blue.

"Hunters? Alphas? Other?" Lydia asked as Stiles fumbled with his phone. 

"Alphas?"

"That sounds like a question." Lydia flexed her fingers, feeling them warm in a now familiar sensation.

"They smell wrong," Peter growled around a mouth of canines. 

"Uh, wrong? Wrong how?" Stiles finished texting Allison, and went to put himself in front of Lydia. 

"Like they're rotting, three of them at least." 

"We can handle it," Lydia said confidently, even though the failing light didn't do much to inspire it. 

"I doubt that," Peter rasped. He could hear the thudding of their paws as they hit the forest floor, running at a gallop. They smelled like rancid meat, putrid and molding. It choked the air from him, clogging his nose and making his eyes burn. If he could hold them off long enough, maybe they could get away. 

"Hey, ye of little faith, we've been practicing." Stiles felt in his jeans pocket for the small pouch of mountain ash he'd taken to carrying around. He hadn't liked what Derek had told him, and the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach had made him overtly cautious. Lydia suggested they spend more time at Deaton's practicing, and now it seemed that their practice was going to be put to the test.

"You're going to need more mountain ash than that," Peter said before growling, low and burbling, his teeth bared in a snarl. Closer than he'd like, three pairs of toxic green eyes glowed just behind the trees. 

"No, we aren't," Stiles whispered, closing his eyes and feeling power surge through him, that spark Deaton spoke of coming to life. Peter felt his hair stand on end, and braced himself for the inevitable fight. The alphas were sprinting for them now, their stench reaching the others' noses. 

"Stiles," Lydia said, raising her hands out in front of her. 

"There," he spoke, flinging the handful of mountain ash out in front of him. It spread into three separate pathways, multiplying into longer strands, and whipping around the alphas' legs like bolas without the weights. Even with their legs tied down, they were still trying to wiggle their way towards them in a feverish frenzy. Peter didn't gape at Stiles like most of his packmates would, but he did stare a little longer than was warranted. He hadn't known Deaton was teaching them offensive techniques. 

"Lyds," Stiles prompted, wiping his hands on his jeans. 

"My turn," she said, fire bursting from her palms. Peter stepped back in disgust, watching as it spread through the air like a flamethrower and landed on the trapped alphas. Their howls sounded like screams to him and he froze, fire dancing in his eyes, reliving the horror of being twice set aflame. It was over with quickly to his relief, the fire Lydia controlled burning hotter than regular stovetop fire. She flicked the flames off of her hands with a wave and turned them to see if her manicure made it through. She smiled when she saw their turquoise colored perfection.

"Told you we had it covered," Stiles gloated, stepping forward and tripping over an upturned root. He landed on his side, with a branch sticking through his jeans on the left leg. "Wow, that was some of the fastest karma I've ever had enacted on me," he winced. 

"Are you serious, you wait until after the alphas are dead to get injured," Peter snarked. He could smell blood welling on Stiles' leg. It was wafting in the air and the sudden breeze would carry it outwards to the surrounding area. 

"You cut yourself on this branch, here," Lydia observed, putting her hand on the large twig to pull it free. 

"Ow, fuck, I'd like the use of my leg when you're done," Stiles groaned. Lydia glared at him. 

"Don't be a cub, it's just a twig, you've had worse," she told him, holding out the bloody branch for his inspection. 

"While you two play doctor, I'm going to do a quick scan around us to make sure those are the only ones we'll encounter out here," Peter let them know, walking around them. 

"Is it bad?" Stiles asked, watching Lydia roll up his pants leg. 

"I don't think so, you're just a bleeder is all," she tutted at him, trying to be careful not to drag the jean material over his cut. 

"I'm not going to need stitches though right?" He asked, looking over at the embers burning away the rest of the alphas. 

"Probably not, why don't you...why are you not looking?" She asked, noticing that he would look at her but not his leg. 

"I've got this thing about blood," he confessed. 

"But this is your own blood." 

"Doesn't make it any better." 

"Pretty sure you'll live if you take a peek." 

"Can we drop it, I'm not looking." 

"Ohhh, you know what, this actually looks worse than I thought at first, you might need a lot of stitches," Lydia said with sympathy and concern in her voice. 

"What?!" Stiles yelped, looking down to see a long thing scratch that went from the bottom of his calf up to his knee. It didn't look nearly deep enough for stitches though. He turned to Lydia who was grinning.

"You're cruel sometimes, you know that." 

"It's been said before." 

"How far do you think Peter went?" 

"Probably just around the perimeter," she shrugged. 

"Huh, I just realized that this isn't the first time I've helped burn an alpha alive in front of the Hale house," he looked at her. "You were in the hospital then, and Jackson of all people drove me out here." 

"Last time it was Peter you were burning," she said, her voice going tight. 

"Yeah, last time it was Peter." Stiles grimaced, memories flooding him. It was different now, Peter was different now. This time Peter had stood with them instead of against them. 

"Incoming," Peter alerted them, rolling his shoulders and jogging towards them. 

"Ugh, can't we catch a break," Stiles complained, leaning back on his elbows. He mustered up the energy required to form the mountain ash into a protective circle around them. Lydia rolled his pants leg back down. Peter could smell the difference in this alpha, it didn't seem diseased. The snap of twigs breaking caused Lydia to flex her fingers. 

"Wait," Peter said seconds before the largest alpha-form he had ever seen burst through the trees. Red eyes were set into an elongated lupine face. Its shoulders took up most of its bulk, and were covered with a thick ruff of fur. Long tapered fingers that were more hands than claws, pawed at the ground. 

"What am I waiting for?" Lydia asked, fire already dancing on her palm. The alpha snarled at the sight, the sound of it causing Stiles' mouth to drop open. 

"It's-" Peter began. 

"Derek," Stiles breathed incredulously. "Put that out," Stiles told Lydia. She extinguished the flame as Stiles waved his hands to part the mountain ash. At once Derek loped to him, nearly bowling Lydia over and snuffling into his neck. "Whoa, hey, um this is new," Stiles grinned at Derek's alpha form. Derek licked a stripe up Stiles' neck and then turned around, barely missing whacking Stiles in the face with his tail. And, hey, tail! Stiles thought, grabbing it with both hands. Derek ignored him in favor of nosing at his leg. A soft whine pressed its way out of him. 

"Derek, I'm fine, it's just a little blood," Stiles pet his soft, fluffy, tail. Derek laved Stiles' scratch, the parts of it he could reach, and growled whenever Peter made as to get closer.

"Oh my God, did you transform as a complete overreaction to the smell of Stiles' blood?" Lydia accused. The tail Stiles had been holding tucked itself between the alpha's legs. Stiles started laughing and didn't stop until Derek butted his head against Stiles' chest.

"My hero," Stiles told soothingly familiar red eyes. Derek's tongue darted out and slurped up Stiles' chin to his forehead, making sure to get up his nose a bit. Stiles' yelp echoed in the trees.

*****

"And then we came back here. The end," Lydia said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a tumblr now, come visit me at colorofakiss@tumblr.com


	14. A Pack Becomes a Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With all the wolves finally home, and loose ends tied up, everyone gets a restful reprieve.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's done! The epilogue is here, and I just want to say thank you all for waiting. I appreciate everyone's kudos and comments (I've read them all and even if I don't reply back, just know that they are well received and fuel my writing tank). 
> 
> My lovely beta: StefanyD

The glass was swept away, the unsalvageable furniture put on the curb and the barely broken pieces put back in their places. The Sheriff's department took the bodies away, the blood was mopped, and when the windows were finally covered with tarp the pack went upstairs to their bed and tumbled into it. Exhaustion set in, a thick weariness settling over them like the blankets they didn't even bother to fight over this time. Peter wound up with his back against Derek's, it was the most physical contact they had had together since he woke up in the hospital. Erica had plastered herself between him and Boyd, so he was in between a she-wolf and a hard place. Isaac dozed off first, for the first time in weeks he finally felt like himself with Derek's arm holding him close and Stiles' breath on his face. Scott lay on his back with Allison and Lydia curled up into either side. Jackson wound himself around Danny, Boyd's back settling against his. One by one they drifted off to sleep, their breathing synching up with one another. They were whole.

***** 

"Danny?" An unfortunately familiar voice asked. 

"Andrew," Danny replied with a smile forced onto his face. His quick prayer that his ex wouldn't sit down went unanswered as Andrew slid into the other side of the booth. 

"I don't see you around much anymore, at the club I mean," Andrew said. Danny had to take a moment to tamper down the scathing remarks and indignant responses. 

"No, I don't have much of a reason to be there anymore," he hinted. 

"Oh do you have a-"

"Danny! Hi, honey, sorry we're late, there's a book signing happening at that little bookstore across the street and parking was a nightmare. Oh, hello," Lydia said with obvious disdain in her voice. She looked him up and down before narrowing her eyes a little. "Who are you?"

"Um, we've actually met be-"

"While I understand that you can't help yourself from hitting on Danny, because let's face it he's gorgeous, I'd appreciate it if you'd move out of my seat. He's way beyond spoken for." Lydia waved him out, situating herself in the spot Andrew had been sitting. 

Andrew stared slack-mouthed between Lydia and Danny. 

"Wait are you-" The full question never got past Andrew's lips.

"Ah my two favorite people," Jackson practically purred as he walked up to their table. He lowered his shades to glare disapprovingly at Andrew. "Didn't Danny dump you once already? What did you come back begging with some sorry excuse?" Jackson waited until Andrew's face flushed red and he had sucked in an affronted breath before continuing. "Look, Andy, he's moved on to frankly bigger and better people. I think you should leave before this gets embarrassing for you." He turned his attention back to his mates. Danny had scooted over so that Jackson could sit next to him. 

"That's what I told him but he's just standing there like he's brain dead. Danny, I know you were younger then but what could you possibly see in him?" Lydia asked.

"Younger? Guys this was like a year ago," Danny smiled fondly at them. Andrew threw him one last look before leaving in a very confused manner. "You two can be cruel sometimes you know that?" 

"I didn't hear you rush to his rescue. Don't play the saint Danny, we both know you can be just as mean." Lydia winked at him. Jackson nuzzled into Danny, his demeanor carefree and relaxed. 

"Well, I was going to suggest we go to the mall after this and make fun of people's fashion sense," he shrugged sheepishly. Their laughter rang throughout the coffee shop.

*****

"My car isn't wrecked, and neither is our pack. I'm impressed," Derek told Scott as they walked their territory lines. It had rained the night before, the dirt was still damp and the trees dripped every now and then.

"I wasn't worried about the pack, but I'll admit I was worried about your car," Scott grinned. "As much as I enjoyed driving it, man, I'm glad you're back. Stiles is a fucking loon when you're not here, and don't even get me started on Jackson. Biggest moper ever." 

Derek cracked a smile at that. He had had suspicions that Jackson would take his absence hard. 

"At least you weren't in a car with Chris Argent and terrible country music. Allison wasn't kidding about his musical inclinations." 

"Did he passive-aggressively threaten you, because he's very good at that." Scott squatted to touch a deer track.

"No, but he did a lot of scowling, and...why are you laughing?" Derek turned to find Scott chuckling into a tree. 

"That must've been the most awkward road trip ever, with both of you scowling, I'm surprised the car didn't break down from the tension," Scott gave one last laugh before catching up with Derek. 

"Shut up. I don't scowl that much." 

"Uh, you're sort of doing it now," Scott pointed, only to have his hand swatted away. Pfft, and Derek called them wolf brothers. They walked the rest of the way in a silence that wasn't uncomfortable, and when Derek shoulder bumped him, Scott couldn't contain his smile.

*****

Screams greeted Chris as he opened the door to his house. He was up the stairs with a gun in his hand in two seconds, and before he threw Allison's door open he sent a little prayer out that those were indeed screams of terror and not pleasure. Not that he wanted his daughter's safety to be compromised, but well, there were some things he liked to be in the dark about. 

Three piercing shrieks accompanied his rather dramatic door busting entrance. 

"Dad! What are you doing?!" Allison yelled at him with her miniature crossbow in her hands.

Chris took a minute to fully digest what he was seeing. Allison's once pristine room had been wrecked, furniture had been shoved away from the walls, and books were scattered throughout it. Lydia stood on the bed with every hardcover book that wasn't on the floor, while Erica crouched on the dresser that was now in the middle of the room. Allison had her back to a wall, her disheveled hair and wild eyes were disconcerting. In various places of the floor and walls were arrows that had been shot into the wood along with claw marks and were those...scorch marks? What the hell was happening?

"What's going on?" 

"There!" Lydia screeched, making him wince at the tone and barely focus in time to see Allison shoot at something that skittered under the bed. Chris put his gun down. 

"Please tell me that you aren't all getting this worked up over a spider?" Three glares made his chuckle. "This is a bit of an overreaction."

"It's not a spider, spiders aren't a big deal. This is a silverfish," Lydia sniffed as she stood on a rather large encyclopedia.

"The Moby Dick of all silverfish, it's at least five inches big," Erica measured with her hand.

"And white," Allison added in a whisper as if it could hear her. 

"I don't think silverfish are danger-"

"Lydia duck!" Allison called out, an arrow thudding into the spot where Lydia's head had just been seconds before. Lydia had thrown herself down and then rolled to look at the arrow where the large, but by no means five inches long, silverfish wiggled. Without hesitation fire flung from her outstretched hand and burnt a spot onto the wall, effectively ending the silverfish. Erica went over to it and pulled the arrow out of the wood, inspecting it. Wisps of smoke curled around the tip.

"Wow, good job team, there's not even a body to show for it. I declare this silverfish exterminated. What do you think Mr. Argent?" Three pairs of eyes turned to him for his input. 

"Um, I'd say it's dead. Good job girls."

They visibly preened. 

"It wasn't like it was very hard to kill one bug," Lydia said as she started stacking the scattered books into piles. 

"Not at all, just needed a little patience," Allison huffed as she put her back into pulling arrows out of the walls and floor. 

"It was a good strategy to move the desk though, that fucker kept using it as coverage," Erica added. She leaned against the desk she'd already pushed back into the wall. 

"Everything's good here then?" Chris checked.

"Yeah, dad, what made you think we didn't have everything under control?" Allison asked with a twinkle in her eye. 

"Nothing at all," he said more to himself than to them, they'd already launched into preparation tactics for the next silverfish. He shook his head and flipped the safety back on his gun.

*****

Isaac woke up from the best nap ever. Stiles' face was smashed into his shoulder, snoring a little and drooling. Derek covered his back, his arms going around him to touch Stiles, encasing him between them. They had spent the last three hours fucking each other in various combinations before falling into a heap of exhaustion.

"I think we fucked him out," Derek whispered into the base of his neck. The open mouthed kisses he pressed into Isaac's oversensitive skin sent blood trying valiantly to make him hard again. 

"Mhm," he agreed, listening to the soft snores of his mate.

"I missed you," Derek said honestly. He set teeth into Isaac's neck, not deep enough to puncture, but strong enough to have a good purchase. Isaac went limp in his hold, like a puppy being carried off to safety. After a few minutes of content silence Isaac covered Derek's hand that was on Stiles' hip. 

"Remember when you asked what my anchor was, and I said my dad. I don't think it's him anymore, I think you and Stiles are my anchor. The two of you, together."

"Are you sure it's not the afterglow speaking?"

Isaac elbowed him in the ribs.

"Jerk, I think you're spending too much time around Stiles, you're getting his sarcasm."

"Or maybe, you just never appreciated my sarcasm before." 

"You mean before, when you were breaking our arms during training exercises before?"

"Low blow," Derek huffed. 

"Shhhhhhh, sleepy sleep time," Stiles mumbled. He stuck his hand haphazardly into Isaac's face, hoping to use a finger to shush the both of them. His finger managed to slip right inside Isaac's mouth. The wolf couldn't resist sucking on it. "Mmm, give another half hour, then we're going to have more sex. Or maybe eat, yeah mmm foodssss," Stiles yawned. He grabbed Derek closer, smashing Isaac between them. 

"What do you want for dinner?" Isaac asked. He shamelessly rubbed his face all over Stiles' head, scent marking him so that the rest of the pack would be able to smell him. 

"mmwafffms."

"Waffles it is." Isaac wiggled a little, trying to get his arm into a better position. Derek had nuzzled into the nook of his neck, his soft warm breaths tickled. His wolf was full of pack, and safety, and home. This is what it felt like to be home. Out there he could feel the rest of his packmates, and he knew they were all slowly making their way to Stiles' room. Pulled in by the strength of the alpha pair, and by the love that was pouring out of all of them. He'd get up in a minute to start making waffles now that there was going to be more than just the three of them. In a minute. 

*****

Boyd closed the gate to his door and then met Danny at his mailbox. 

"You ready for this?" Danny asked, flipping through music on his iPod. 

"Am I ready? Erica makes Peter and I run with her twice a week, believe me, I am more than prepared." 

"Erica runs? She should've joined us, I don't mind hanging around couples" Danny rolled his shoulders as Boyd fixed his shoelaces. 

"I'd hope not, seeing as how you're involved with one. And speaking of, Erica is taking Lydia to a new sushi place in town. It's probably one of the only places that isn't tired of them making out in front of the food." With a quick nod they started jogging slow away from Boyd's house and towards the forest. 

"Lydia will just leave an extra large tip," Danny said. Boyd snorted. 

"You've been spending a lot of time with them lately," Boyd prompted. He figured Danny wouldn't mind if he pried a little. 

"Is it okay to admit it's a little weird? Don't get me wrong, I love it, it's just we've always hung out together. The three of us. It doesn't really feel like much has changed except now Jackson and I have sex. Isn't there supposed to be. More?" 

"Like what? What did you expect to be doing, super secret threesome things?"

"Well, what do you, and Erica, and Peter do?" 

"Drip sarcasm at each other mostly." Danny tried covering up his laugh with a snort but instead ended up choking on air for a couple of seconds. "We do people things. Cook food, watch movies, run, snark at one another, play fight." Boyd shrugged. "We do our version of normal. And yeah sometimes that means smelling Peter's scent all over Erica and vice versa. Sometimes it means going over to his apartment and finding them sleeping and sprawled over the couch. And that's okay, it's our relationship and we have to be the ones to define what's okay. I'm sure whatever you do with Lydia and Jackson is just fine and there's no reason to freak out about it." 

"Lydia's watched us have sex and I didn't freak out so I think I'm good on that front." 

"Yeah, once you get over that hurdle, you've basically opened the flood gates." 

"Same goes for the pack. I have a running bet with Erica that the pack is going to descend into one big mush of relationships by the time the house is finished. Erica said that it'll happen before but I don't know, Derek doesn't seem the type to rush things." 

"I wouldn't bet against Erica, she tends to get her way," Boyd cautioned. 

"I'm starting to see how alike she and Lydia are." 

"Shh, don't invoke both of their names at the same time, they'll know we're talking about them."

Danny laughed so hard he had to stop jogging. When he picked up the pace again, he suddenly got a strange frown on his forward.

"So, has Peter seen you and Erica having sex?" 

Boyd jogged faster, outpacing Danny.

"Hey, I told you mine, now you tell me yours, fess up!" Danny started running after the wolf. "Boyd!"

*****

Peter unconsciously pulled his coat tighter around him as he stepped onto the lacrosse field. The sun hadn't quite gone down all the way, and the twilight irritated his eyes. Across the field he watched a petite figure get closer to where he stood. To where he had been asked to be. Many things had crossed his mind when Lydia had called him and asked him to meet her at the field. He figured she'd try and kill him, and he wasn't sure anymore whether he would fight back or not. She stopped a few feet in front of him. She wasn't wearing any makeup, and she'd tossed her hair into a messy bun. The chill air had caused a light flush in her cheeks. There are worse ways to die, he thought just as she opened her mouth.

"I killed people." Her words gave him pause. She didn't flinch away from his stare like she would've in the past. She held it steady, her nervousness gone. "I killed people, and even though it was self defense, I should feel horror and guilt. I should feel like it matters, but it doesn't. I killed people, and all I can feel is relief. Relief that it wasn't one of us, that it wasn't one of our packmates. I thought at first something was wrong with me," her voice became strained, and Peter had to force himself not to reach out to her. "I felt everyone so much more than Allison or even Stiles. Stiles is always going on about how he can feel Derek or Isaac but I think a lot of that is just mind over matter, because I feel them, all of them. And if Stiles knew how it felt he'd never have let Derek go, he'd never let Isaac leave his sight. I couldn't understand why I felt the wolves so deeply until the night your house burnt down. And then I knew that I was feeling them through you, I was feeling what you felt." She shook her head a little, her eyes taking on a wet sheen. Peter swallowed the lump in his throat.

"It's so strong, being that connected. It's being a part of something bigger than ourselves. Their love, their pain, all of it just pours into us. And while I was sitting with this I realized something. I realized that this is what you had before, with the original Hale pack." Peter felt his wolf go uneasy at the mention of them, and he wanted to tear his eyes away from her but she held him steady. 

"It was a horrifying realization, because you felt them, you must have. You felt them dying, your pack, your family, and it must have drove you mad. It had to have." Peter had closed his eyes at some point, and when he had opened them again he saw tears leave wet tracks on her face. 

"If that had been our pack, if we lost someone," she finally looked down, taking a deep shaky breath, "I'd have burned everything around me until I couldn't feel anything but ash. So, I'm saying I understand, I know now why you did what you did. Because in the face of all of that pain, why would a couple of teenagers matter, what did we have to offer you other than an escape from it all." She wiped furiously at her cheeks. "And I'm not condoning it, and there's so much wrong that I don't know where forgiveness starts, but it's hard to hate you when I can feel Erica's love for you." 

"She doesn't love me," Peter rasped when he could find his voice again. 

"Yes, yes she does," Lydia argued, sniffing in the cold. "And don't even try to tell me you don't love her back. I know you're not that dense, even if you won't say it out loud." She crossed her arms and shifted her weight to one hip. Taking that as a cue Peter took in her scent before responding.

"I've killed people, and I don't regret any of them but one. Just one. The rest meant nothing to me, you didn't mean anything to me, until you did. I don't like surprises, but you have been one surprise after another. Everything has been one continuous surprise." He shrugged. "I was sure you had brought me out here to kill me." 

She shrugged back.

"I was." No explanation, she didn't need to tell him how she hadn't felt certain about killing him, hadn't known for sure it was what she was going to do. He had hurt her so badly, and she wanted him to pay for it. She wanted him to suffer and cry out in his sleep like she had. But he'd already done that hadn't he? He spent nights in an incoherent mess, trapped in his body while his mind went mad from the agony of being torn from his pack. "I had come here with the intention to end you, properly, and then my phone rang. Erica wanted to know if I'd gotten around to figuring out why you weren't healing. She was quite disheartened when I told her I hadn't, and then to my surprise she started crying. Over you. I haven't known Erica that well until lately, but I know it takes a lot to make her cry. I could kill you for myself, for the nights of terror and weeks you spent manipulating me. Or I could let you live out of the loyalty I feel towards a packmate." Her eyes bore into him, causing his hair to stand on end. 

"I don't deserve a pardon." He scrubbed at his face with one hand. An anxious gesture that Derek shared.

"No, you don't, but I'm giving you one just the same. Use it wisely," she cautioned. With one last pointed stare she turned and placed her back towards him for a moment before leaving. 

Peter stood on the field until the darkness had filled in the empty space, and then he left it for the warmth of a waiting she-wolf.

*****

"Take off your clothes," Stiles grinned.

"What for?" Derek frowned and rubbed at his arms. 

"Because I don't want you reenacting a scene out of every token werewolf film where your clothes get destroyed and you end up running butt ass naked around the forest when you change back. Besides, that's my shirt you're wearing." 

"It is n-" Derek realized after looking down that the navy blue shirt he'd thrown on that morning was indeed Stiles'. "Huh."

"Go on then, strip," Stiles said with far too much glee. Derek glared but removed the shirt first and then his pants. Stiles wasn't surprised to see him without boxers. He preferred his wolf all commando.

"This feels stupid," Derek complained. 

"The quicker you shift into a big puppy the quicker you can put your clothes back on." 

Derek glared but didn't say anything. He took a deep breath and used the memory of his shift to aid his body in transforming. His hands went first, becoming claws where nails used to be. He focused on Stiles as his ribs popped and cracked, the momentary pain breaking into relief like a well scratched itch. His vision went red just as the first ripple of fur pushed its' way out of his skin. When he felt like every bone was in place he gave a cautious step towards Stiles and waited.

Stiles had seen werewolf transformations in movies, he'd read about them in books, had seen Peter transform into something twisted and monstrous, but he had no words to describe the awe he felt at Derek's transformation. Derek took a hesitant step forward with his tail wagging shyly behind him. Stiles just melted. He had to restrain himself from launching at his mate, instead he put a reassuring hand on Derek's snout. 

"How are you even fucking real?" Stiles breathed, feeling the grooves of Derek's muzzle, and the whiskers that tickled his palm. Derek seemed to have no control over his tail as it began to wag furiously. "Can you talk like this? Peter could, kind of." 

Derek gave a small snort and a quick growl, like he was clearing his throat.

"Might, need, practice," the wolf growled out, the words thick and bouncy. His ears perked up at the sound of his voice, hearing himself this way was new. 

"Look at you, you're the size of a huge bear." Stiles ran his hands over Derek's shoulders, and down into the thick ruff of his neck. "I think we'll be supernatural creature free for a while. Nothing is going to want to fuck with you." 

Derek bumped his head against Stiles' shoulder, nosing against his neck. 

"So...should we play fetch?" 

Derek sighed and pushed him over with one massive paw. 

"What was that for?!" Stiles yelped.

"Tag. I'm it. You run." He bowed down in the universal canine sign for play and growled. 

Stiles smiled wide and took off, weaving between the trees in hopes that they'd slow Derek down. Not that he didn't want to be caught, but the chase was just so much more fun.

*****

"You're cheating somehow," Isaac accused as he put his yellow person back onto the candy cane space. 

"That's ridiculous, how could I cheat at CandyLand, you'd smell it," Erica pointed out. 

"You were the one that shuffled the cards," Boyd said dubiously. 

"But you both watched me do that!" 

"Mhm," they grunted in tandem. 

"Come on, that just seems like too much work to try and cheat at this game." She turned her head as the door to Peter's apartment opened. 

"Lydia said she's getting samples of rug for the rooms and wants to know our stand on rug in the hallways," Peter said to Derek as they walked in. He was unfazed by the three betas playing board games in his living room area. Derek, however, was and he quirked an eyebrow at their presence. Three shrugs answered him. 

"If we want a rug in the hallway we could always just put it in later. So, this is where you've been living?" Derek looked around at the small but efficient apartment. He noticed the magnets on the refrigerator, very obviously not Peter's, and the bookcase half filled with ancient mythology and half filled with the paranormal romance Erica favored. 

"Yes, just got it, the hunter junior found it online. With the amount of supernatural entities that flood our way I think we need to consider an elite rug steam cleaner."

"Allison found this for you?" Derek's eyebrows rose closer to his hairline.

"Yes." Peter waved his hands in both directions and with a tiredness he didn't try and hide, plopped down into his favorite armchair. Erica placed her red person on the Candy Castle with a victorious smile. She heard her boys groan in mock annoyance behind her as she crawled into Peter's lap. 

"Did you have a good day?" He whispered into her hair. She nuzzled into him with a sigh. 

"Mhm. The boys took me out ice skating at the rink and then we came here for board games. You smell like the woods."

"Our fearless leader wanted to check on the building progress, even though I told him everything was fine."

"Stiles said you were trying to add another floor," Derek pointed out. Peter ignored him.

"Let's order take-out," Peter said. He reached out with his hand for the landline which Boyd passed him. 

"Indian?" Erica asked hopefully. 

"Are you staying?" Peter asked Derek. The alpha looked surprised for a second. 

"You could watch I Found My Gown with us," Isaac suggested. Derek frowned, this isn't how he envisioned his uncle spending his free time. 

"It's actually pretty entertaining, except some of the families are assholes," Boyd shrugged. 

"I like it when they find their dress and they cry, it's just like you know they're taking that one home," Erica piped up. 

"What kind of show is this?" Derek asked, very confused as to how they roped Peter into watching it. He caught Peter's eyes as the wolf ordered food and quirked his head to the side a little. Peter just grinned. 

"It's a wedding dress show," Isaac said. He had grabbed the remote to pick a DVR-ed episode. Derek sat next to him on the purple couch. 

Peter hung up the phone just in time to hear Isaac and Boyd try to explain to Derek the appeal of their guilty pleasure show. 

"Are you staying the night?" Peter asked Erica. She nodded against his throat, her lips pressed a whisper of a kiss into him. 

"Come on, let's go put something comfortable on," she urged him, grabbing his hand and pulling him up. 

"I might just fall asleep on the bed, don't let me sit down," he warned her as they walked down the hallway.

"You're not that geriatric yet, besides if you get in the bed it's not sleeping we're going to be doing."

"That's not really helping the don't-get-in-the-bed-argument."

Even with the bedroom door shut, Erica's laugh could be heard clear through. Derek's frown deepened.

"They're going to have sex aren't they?" He pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Yep," Isaac and Boyd answered together. Boyd put the volume up higher for Derek's sake. 

*****

"Alright, alright, tongues back in your own mouths, this is Team Mostly Human time, not make-out time," Lydia told Allison and Stiles. The couple broke off with guilty eyes and sat back into the booth. Allison laced her fingers with his and watched as Lydia ordered for them. Danny showed up right as the waitress left. 

"I'm not late am I?" He breathed out, pulling on his shirt collar. Stiles smirked as he caught sight of a dark reddish mark on Danny's neck. 

"Jackson getting territorial is he?" Stiles pointed to Danny's neck.

"Is it really noticeable?" He asked as he tried to pull his collar higher.

"Only if you have eyes," Stiles responded. Danny grimaced. 

"I've got one too," Allison offered in solidarity. She swept her hair out of the way and pulled aside her lavender shirt to reveal a a collarbone hickey mark. "Isaac was feeling bite-y," she grinned at Stiles' stare. Allison looked over at Lydia, who was pretending to stare avidly at the new potted plants the coffee shop recently acquired. With a sigh she pulled down her satin top to just above her bra where hickeys decorated both breasts. Stiles made a wheezing sound while Allison whistled. 

"Wow, I thought Jackson was just over-marking me, but when compared to that, this is nothing to complain over," Danny said. 

"Actually, this was from Erica," Lydia corrected. "So, Stiles where's yours?"

"I can't show where mine is without pulling my pants down," he chuckled. Danny flicked the wrapper of his tea bag at him in protest. 

"Oh! I got it," Allison exclaimed. She rummaged in her bag for her phone, and then undid the lock before holding it up for everyone to see. The wallpaper of her phone showed Stiles' hipbone complete with a hickey mark. Stiles gawked at Allison.

"Wha, how, why? Why do you have that?!" He squawked. 

"You need to get some sun man, you are seriously pale," Danny commented. Stiles made an affronted gurgling sound.

"Huh, you have moles there too," Lydia noticed. Stiles suddenly felt extremely naked, the thought of his lower abdomen moles being uncovered made him fumble with Allison for the phone. She elbowed him hard enough to wrestle her phone back into her bag, but gentle enough that he didn't feel winded. 

"Erica took it and sent it to me, if you're going to be mad at anyone it should be her," Allison said. 

"That sneaky little sneak," he grumbled. He didn't bother asking how, knowing Erica she probably took it while he was sleeping. "So, what's first on the agenda?" He looked expectantly at Lydia, who produced a small notebook from her bag. On the cover the words Team Human were embossed in gold. 

"Full moon is next week on Thursday. I checked the weather reports and it's a 70 percent chance of rain, however I pulled up the past twenty years worth of weather reports for the same day and it definitely rained. So, it's an 89.6 percent chance of rain. Which means they're going to stink like wet dog when they get back from their run." 

"My house is closer. We could all crash there afterwards. At the very least I have two showers so the smell should dissipate faster than at your place," Allison told Stiles. He nodded.

"Is your dad going to be okay with that?" Danny asked.

"He's been slowly realizing that a matriarchy doesn't work if the matriarch doesn't make the decisions. So, I've been calling the shots as I should have been. Besides, he told Derek he wants to be around the pack more. Nothing says a introduction to them like having them covered in dirt, bunny fur, and grass stains." 

"Alright, we're spending the full moon at Allison's house. Next, is website business, Danny?" Lydia pointed at him with her pen. 

"Everything's running smoothly. We've had four hunter families start uploading bestiary pages, which is helpful but also terrifying to know what else is out there. The alphas of a few packs have started putting in lore, but also how-tos. Like how to deal with a first time shifter, how to deal with telling your parents you're a werewolf, and my personal favorite, how to deal with teething cubs. Forums are up and going strong. We'll need to pick admins for them, but there's already been a few volunteers. The Breskell pack's alpha, Mia, seems particularly interested in helping out. Wasn't that the wolf that Derek talks about?" 

"Oh, yeah, she did say she wanted to admin. We've been skyping, she really knows her stuff. I would've killed to have spoken to her back when Scott had first been turned," Stiles said. 

"Making a note for admins later. Alright, Deaton wants us all at the vet's tomorrow. The inflammable practice dummies came in, and he wants to test us on wolfsbane variations." Lydia looked around at everyone's nodding head before she checked it off her list. "This next bullet point is grim, but the bodies of the mind-controlled alphas have been shipped to the packs that we could find. There's still one that has yet to have family claim her, and it doesn't feel right not to do something about it. Ideas?" 

"Was she the one I took down?" Allison asked. Stiles felt her hand tighten around his and he gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"Here let me check," Lydia pulled out her phone.

"You keep pictures of death certificates on your phone?" Danny asked over her shoulder.

"I also have pictures of the bodies. Looks like multiple stab wounds, so yes this would be the one that you killed."

"If no one claims her, I'll take her. She deserves a good ending, and if she doesn't have any pack left to honor her then I'll do it. I'm sure Derek won't mind if I find a nice place for her out in the forest." Allison didn't want to admit that she felt bad about killing the alpha when she wasn't in her right frame of mind. She hoped that this would atone for some of her guilt. 

"We could all be there, you know, stand in for her pack," Danny suggested.

"If nobody claims her by the end of the week, then I'll have the morgue sign her over to us. We could put down wolfsbane as per werewolf custom." Lydia checked off another box, and then wrote a note to herself. "And the final point I wanted to make sure we go through today is, when are we going to sit down and discuss our relationships?" She looked pointedly at Stiles.

"Why are you glaring at me?" He squeaked.

"Because, none of us want to bring it up with Derek before you do. So, have you spoken with our fearless leader?"

"I may have mentioned it. And he may have said that we could talk it out at our next training day," he smiled at her. "I think it's going to work out."

"Finally! I mean even if some of us never have sex with everyone, that doesn't mean we aren't all committed to each other. Or that we don't love them. This way I can stop confusing my dad and just say I'm dating everyone. End of story," Allison said.

"My family thinks I'm in some sort of cult, but since my grades have stayed high and I haven't started stealing money, they think it's a benevolent cult. I'm going to hold off on telling them I'm in a massive relationship web," Danny snorted.

"I can't wait for the sex," Stiles laughed.

"Seconded!" 

*****

"This can't be right," Sheriff Stilinski squinted at Stiles' writing. Melissa leaned over to look at the paper and chuckled.

"When did Erica and Lydia become girlfriends? Wait this line on Lydia also goes to this Danny and Jackson triangle, what..." Chris rambled off.

"Oh yeah, I knew about Danny and Jackson. I could see that one forming, those boys gravitate towards each other. Good thing too, Danny mellows Jackson out, keeps his wolf from being too arrogant," the Sheriff said. He leaned back so that Melissa could take a good look at the tangled web of lines. She was about to state her dislike over the Peter-Erica-Boyd triangle when Chris' eyes narrowed and he pointed an accusing finger at John.

"Your son is dating my daughter," Chris near growled.

"Oh are they?" John sat forward to see the red line connecting Stiles to Allison. "I've been wondering about them, something seemed a little off." 

"Off?" Chris glared. 

"Yeah, Stiles gets all twitchy when he likes someone. Well, twitchier than normal for him anyway." 

"Speaking of twitchy, Scott was awfully jumpy when leaving the house today, do either of you know what they are up too?" 

"Allison said a training exercise in the forest." Chris said, wondering if John would object to pouring them all drinks.

"Stiles said a pack meeting. I suppose they could be doing both," John supplied. "Oh, there they are," he said as he heard the Jeep pull up. Scott and Stiles stumbled inside both wearing ridiculously bright smiles. "Meeting go well?"

"Extraordinarily well. Amazingly well. What are you guys doing? Oh, um, you're not going to need that chart anymore," Stiles told them. Three pairs of eyebrows went up. "You want to help me out here Scott," Stiles pleaded. 

"Er, so we've decided that we're kind of, well, dating. All of us. Everyone. At once. Together," Scott motioned with his hands. 

"All of you?" Chris asked, looking around the kitchen for a liquor cabinet. Melissa started laughing to herself at John's stricken expression. 

"I'll take over," Stiles said. "Look, we've all decided to be in one large polyamorous relationship built out of mutual love, and respect. Don't make it weird." With a spin that caused him to run into Scott, they left their parents to ponder where, why, and how.

*****

"Der? Der, are you awake?" Stiles whispered at the sleeping alpha. It was one of those unusual nights where they had Stiles' bed to themselves. Derek made a small, hmm, sound. "Der?" 

"What?" He blinked one eye open. The moonlight streamed in through the window, making it easy to see Stiles' face without using his wolf vision.

"I want to hear you say it." Stiles wiggled closer, and pressed his cold nose into Derek's chest.

"Want to hear me say what?" Derek tried to inch his legs away from Stiles' perpetually icy feet, but he was a second too slow. They had had an extremely awkward dinner with the Sheriff, during which John shot him accusatory looks. He'd asked Stiles about it later, but only got a 'it's probably something to do with the fact that you're now dating a slew of underage teens', for an answer.

"You know," he insisted, poking Derek in the ribs. Stiles had spent most of the dinner praying that his dad didn't start passively aggressively cleaning his gun at the table. As it was, he had held onto his steak knife long after his steak had been consumed. Stiles couldn't believe it when his dad said Derek could stay the night, but he was betting Melissa had said something to him earlier. 

"I really don't," Derek grumbled while opening his other eye. Stiles scooted back a bit so that he could look into Derek's face.

"You said it once, right before you left, which is totally cheating by the way. I want to hear it again, now," he demanded.

"You woke me up at four in the morning for this? This couldn't have waited until I was actually awake?" Derek rolled over suddenly, knowing that it would just entice Stiles more, but it was the principle of the thing. Four in the freaking morning. Just as predicted, Stiles wasted no time in wrapping himself around Derek like an over cuddly octopus. His breath tickled Derek's ear. 

"Come on, say it, just say it once," Stiles pleaded. 

"Doesn't it not count if you're begging?" 

"Nope, that's not a rule at all." Stiles fit his hand into Derek's. Derek could feel his heart doing stupid things. 

"Stiles," he breathed. Stiles went silent. He turned his face to look at his mate, this scrawny human who'd somehow given him a pack again. Given him another chance at having family. His eyes were wide with anticipation, and his mouth, fuck his perfect pink mouth, was open slightly. Everything about Stiles was unfair, and perfect, and he wanted to give his mate everything. "I love you."

Stiles' smile could light up city blocks with its intensity. His face lunged at Derek's, as he kissed the stubborn wolf.

"I love you too," he sighed happily, eyes drifting closed. Derek pulled Stiles closer, still holding his hand. Stiles buried his nose at the base of Derek's neck. Even knowing that Stiles would probably drool on him didn't make him want to move. With the feeling of Stiles surrounding him, and the scent of their pack in his nose, Derek let his eyes drift closed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the final chapter of When the Hunters Came, but it's not the final fic of Puppy Piles What Puppy Piles? I do have another idea for the next fic but it's going to be put on hold whilst I chase a different plot bunny into a new verse I've been dying to dig my hands into. (an Allison/Derek/Scott verse) It's probably the reason this fic took so long, so I'm going to give it the time it deserves and then come back to this verse. (no worries I won't abandon it without at least one more fic, and I have all those Behind the Scenes smutty ficlets to plop in there) Thanks again for reading!
> 
> If you want to drop by and say hi, you can find me on tumblr:  
> colorofakiss.tumblr.com


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